Woman in serious condition after car plunges 40m

Hawkes Bay police say a woman whose car hit a tree after plunging off the road had not been speeding. File photo / NZ Herald

A woman is in serous condition after her car plunged up to 40m and hit a tree in Hawke's Bay today.

The accident on Te Mata Peak, near Havelock, happened just before 1pm, police said.

The car dropped 30-40m, hit a tree on the way down and came to a stop in a ditch.

The crash was discovered by a psserby.

Police said the woman, in her 50s or 60s, hadn't been travelling fast but she had to have turned right to leave the road.

Police were not ruling out a medical condition as a possible cause of the accident.