The impact tore the front off the people-mover, which ended up in the southbound lane, while the truck, with the rest of the car wedged into the front of the cab, came to rest on the side of the road beside the northbound lane.
Police, Fire and St John Ambulance responded from across the Mid North, with volunteer fire crews called out from Kaeo, Mangonui and Kerikeri.
The occupants of the people-mover, believed to be a man and a woman from Germany, died at the scene. The truck driver, a man from the Kaeo area, was trapped and initially in a critical condition with significant leg injuries.
Firefighters cut the doors off the cab and used strops to pull the vehicles apart to free him. His condition improved during the rescue and he was responding to his helpers. He was airlifted to Auckland Hospital by the Northland Rescue Helicopter, which landed in a nearby paddock.
Firefighters also cut the doors and roof off the people-mover but its occupants could not be saved.
Sergeant Haydn Korach, of Mid North police, said it appeared the people-mover had been heading south when it crossed the centreline. The driver of the northbound truck had tried to avoid a collision.
The cause would be determined by the police Serious Crash Unit, which examined the scene on Saturday afternoon.
The identity of the two deceased was not immediately known.
Mr Korach praised the "massive effort" of the paramedics and firefighters as they tried to save the victims, and commended the teamwork between all three services.
SH10 was closed between Matauri Bay Rd and the Whangaroa Bridge for more than four hours with traffic diverted via Matauri Bay.
The two deceased are thought to be overseas tourists. Their nationality had not, however, been confirmed at edition time.
The scene was blessed by Fire and Emergency iwi liaison officer, and Kawakawa fire chief, Wayne Martin.
A man died following a crash at Hikurangi about 11.40pm on Friday. The single-vehicle crash saw two others treated by St John ambulance crew at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
And another three people are in hospital with injuries after about 11.30pm on Saturday.
A rescue helicopter flew to the scene on Peter Snell Dr, Ruakaka, shortly before midnight and a crew treated the injured parties. One person was critically injured in the crash, and two others had serious injuries.
One patient was airlifted to Auckland hospital and two others were flown to Whangarei Hospital.
