Holiday road toll stands at five after several crashes across the country
Monday, 25 December 2017
Five people are dead just three days into the official summer holiday period.
In the latest fatality a woman died at the scene of a three car crash in the Bay of Plenty on Christmas Eve.
She was the driver of one of the cars embroiled in the collision at the Mamaku turn-off, near Rotorua.
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Three others were left trapped. The driver and passenger in the second car were left seriously injured, and the driver of a third car escaped with minor injuries.
The official holiday period began at 4pm on Friday.
By Saturday morning an Auckland taxi driver was dead after his car was struck by an alleged drink driver.
Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed, 29, was killed in an early morning hit and run on Symonds St early Saturday.
The 20-year-old driver of a Mercedes allegedly ran a red light before ploughing into Syed's Toyota Prius. He allegedly fled the crash and was subsequently found by police on a nearby street.
Police said the man has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol causing death, driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury, and failure to stop and ascertain injury. He will appear at Auckland District Court on December 27.
On Saturday afternoon 64-year-old Fijian national Lalita Devi died in a crash in Northland.
She was a passenger in the car that crashed on State Highway 14 at Maungatapere.
Two other occupants suffered injuries and were taken to Whangarei Hospital. One with serious condition and the other moderate.
On Sunday morning, a 65-year-old man was killed in the crash at Pourerere Rd in central Hawke's Bay after a vehicle rolled down a bank.
The passenger died at the scene while the driver sustained minor injuries.
Earlier that morning, Boney Biju, was killed when his car lost control and struck a tree on Jollies Pass Rd, 2 kilometres east of Hamner Springs where he worked at a local restaurant.
It was Biju's 21st birthday.
The young man, described as calm and quiet, had been celebrating his birthday at a bar.
Last holiday period 19 people died on the country's roads.
The lowest holiday road toll on record occurred during 2012/13 when six deaths were recorded.
The official holiday period ends at 6am on Wednesday, January 3.
HOLIDAY ROAD TOLL 2017/18
Bay of Plenty - A woman died in a three-car smash at the turn-off to Mamaku, near Rotorua, around 9pm on Sunday. The woman was the driver of one of the three vehicles.
Auckland - Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed, was killed when an alleged drink-driver crashed into his car on Symonds St, Auckland, at 4:45am on Saturday.
Maungatapere - Fijian national Lalita Devi, 64, died in a crash on State Highway 14, near Maungatapere, Northland, on Saturday at 5.45pm.
Hawke's Bay - A 64-year-old man was killed in central Hawke's Bay at 5.35am on Sunday after a vehicle rolled down a bank on Pourerere Rd.
Hanmer Springs - A person died after a car hit a tree on Jollies Pass Rd, Hanmer Springs, at 12.40am on Sunday.