Waikato crash: One dead after vehicle hits tree in Waerenga

One person has died after a car crashed into a tree near the intersection of Okaeria and Kopuku Rds in Waerenga, about 60km north of Hamilton. Photo / Google

The sole occupant of a vehicle that hit a tree in Waikato this morning has died.

The crash occurred in Waerenga, about 60km north of Hamilton, and the road has now reopened.

Emergency responders were called to the scene, near the intersection of Okaeria and Kopuku Rds, around 9.20am.

Today's fatal crash comes one day after the official holiday road toll period ended. The Christmas-New Year road toll was 17.

It was a large jump from the previous year, when 11 people died in road crashes during Christmas and New Year.

Police said yesterday that they were disappointed at the increase, saying many of the crashes were avoidable.

"The impact on whānau, friends and communities cannot be measured when someone is killed in a road crash," said Assistant Commissioner Bruce O'Brien.

"It's also incredibly frustrating for police to see people losing their lives in completely preventable incidents."