Woman dies after van, truck collide

A woman is dead and three other people are in hospital - including a 4-month-old baby girl - after a people-mover carrying seven people was in a collision with a truck and trailer unit.

Rita Christina Paul, 27, a passenger in the van, died in hospital from injuries suffered in the crash on State Highway 2, close to the turnoff from State Highway 1 before Pokeno heading towards the Coromandel and Tauranga areas, on Thursday night.

Senior Constable Steve Carey of the Counties Manukau serious crash unit said it appeared the van was turning around in the centre of the road after becoming lost when a green B-train truck travelling the other way collided with its side.

The truck and trailer unit stayed upright while the van swerved on to the grass verge on the opposite side of the road.

A section of State Highway 2 was closed for about four hours with diversions in place while the scene was cleared.

All seven occupants of the van, believed to be family members, were taken to hospital after the accident.

An adult was in a critical condition and a child in a serious condition in Middlemore Hospital last night and a 4-month-old girl was in a critical condition at the Starship. The critical patients are both believed to be suffering from head injuries.

The other three occupants of the car, including the driver, suffered minor injuries and had been released.

The truck driver was shaken but unhurt, Mr Carey said.

"There was a lot of hurt and trauma going on, quite a deal of debris and emergency appliances parked all over the road, a lot of crying and upset people as you would expect.

"But it wasn't chaos at all, it was calmish from our point of view."

He said the weather at the time of the crash was cold but with clear skies and the road conditions were safe.

"As you'd expect from a state highway it is well-traversed so it's in a good condition."

It was too early to know what, if any, charges would be laid over the incident.

The vehicles had been towed and were undergoing forensic testing, Mr Carey said.

Police were yesterday working to get statements from the drivers and passengers but Mr Carey said it might take weeks to collect all the information depending on people's health.

It was unclear yesterday where the occupants of either vehicle were heading or where they had come from.