Two die in weekend crashes

Two people died on the roads this weekend.

On Friday night, 51-year-old Penelope Rae Phillips was killed by a young woman allegedly fleeing a police checkpoint in Blenheim.

Police stopped the 20-year-old local woman about 9.45pm at a checkpoint, before she sped off and crashed about 400m away at the intersection of Hutcheson and Nelson streets.

Ms Phillips died at the scene.

Police interviewed the woman today, but it would be some time before a decision was made about laying charges because of the complexities of the investigation, Detective Richard Rolton said.

Also on Friday night, a 36-year-old truck driver died after crashing off State Highway 1 south of Mosgiel, Otago.

Reagan Van Welie's truck left the road on a gentle bend about 11.15pm, colliding with a large steel container on a property, police said.

He died at the scene. It was not yet clear what had caused the crash and a post mortem would be conducted.

- NZPA