Police are investigating after a woman died in a motorbike crash on Auckland's North Shore this afternoon.
It's the latest fatality in what police have labelled an "absolutely horrendous" string of now 19 deaths over 12 days, prompting calls for drivers to slow down and avoid distractions.
The woman died at the scene of the crash near Stadium Drive in Albany just before 3.30pm.
"Tragically the woman was confirmed deceased," police said. The matter has been referred to the coroner.
Because an investigation is ongoing, the death has not yet been added to the holiday period road toll of six.
The official Christmas/New Year's holiday period began at 4pm on Christmas Eve and ends at 6am on January 5.
Two hours earlier, four people were seriously injured in a two-car crash in the Waikato.
Emergency services rushed to State Highway 25 in Waitakaruru around 1pm. The road reopened around 6pm.
"The Serious Crash Unit has been in attendance and inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing," police said.
The crashes come a day after police pleaded with motorists to slow down and avoid distractions after a shocking spate of deaths on the country's roads.
Police also confirmed today that a car involved in a crash which five young children - aged 10 to 13 - were seriously injured, had been stolen from Hamilton.
Four children remain in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital's Intensive Care Unit after the crash in Matamata just before midnight on Monday.
One is expected to be transferred to Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland today. A fifth child remains in stable condition in Waikato Hospital.
Police said inquiries also suggest the vehicle was linked to a burglary on Monday evening in Matamata.
Arriving at the scene about 11.55pm yesterday, police found the Nissan Tiida in a ditch on Morrinsville-Walton Rd with the five children outside the car.
It wasn't the only serious crash yesterday.
Five people were injured in a crash on State Highway 1 near Dome Valley involving three vehicles.
A motorcyclist died after an earlier crash in Huntly, also involving three cars, taking the holiday road toll to six.
Assistant commissioner Bruce O'Brien yesterday labelled the period "absolutely horrendous".
"It's a real tragic start ... we're still seeing the same trends; excessive speed, impairment either alcohol, drugs or fatigue, people still using distraction devices such as cellphones and people still not wearing their seatbelts."
There was always an increase in crashes over the festive period but O'Brien agreed Covid-19 had made the year even longer for people.
"In December and January the crash risk does increase, people going away on unfamiliar roads that they may not have driven on before.
"Its been a long year for everybody in the country with Covid, so fatigue kicks in, travelling long distances, it's hot, people get impatient and then they make bad decisions, speeding or overtaking in really dangerous spots and it just puts themselves at a really high risk of killing themselves or somebody else."
Karen Chhour weighs in on the incident at a South Auckland youth justice facility.