Two dead, three teens seriously hurt in crash

File Photo

Two people are dead and three teenagers are seriously injured after a car collided with a stock truck south of Hamilton today.

The Toyota Rav 4 vehicle driven by a 15-year-old girl collided with the truck on Otewa Rd south west of Otorohanga about 2.20pm today, said police.

Waikato district road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said it appeared the Rav's driver failed to negotiate a bend and lost control of the vehicle, which collided with the truck and killed the driver, Otorohanga father-of-three Malcolm John Frew, 57.

"A 17-year-old male student from Waitomo who was travelling as a rear seat passenger in the car also lost his life, while the female driver and two passengers suffered serious injuries and were airlifted by two helicopters to Waikato Hospital," said Mr Tooman.

The 17-year-old deceased has not been named.

The injured passengers are also believed to be in their teens.

Mr Tooman said today's crash had too many similarities to a Labour weekend crash in which a learner driver crashed his car and killed two people.

"Today's crash is a case where the driver was travelling way too fast for the environment and driving in contravention of her graduated driver's licence," said Mr Tooman.

"Tragically, if the drivers in both crashes had taken some simple, basic steps, four people may still be alive today and four families may not have to be facing a summer without loved ones."