Nine aboard vehicle in deadly crash

Nine people were in a vehicle involved in a fatal crash in Napier.

One person died at the scene of the crash on Shakespeare Rd, Napier at 11.50pm on Saturday, police said. One was uninjured, while seven were taken to hospital.

Two of those were in a critical condition. The five others were in a stable condition but would remain in hospital, police said.

The police serious crash unit was investigating.

In a separate accident, one person suffered life-threatening injuries after a car crashed into a tree on Bank St, Te Awamutu at 6.15am yesterday.

The Napier death means this year is on track to be the most deadly on New Zealand roads in at least five years. There had been 307 road deaths by Saturday.

Year-to-October 30 figures from the Ministry of Transport show that there were 306 deaths by the same time in 2018, while all the years since had had fewer than 300 deaths on the roads in the same 10-month period.

Last year had 267 deaths by October 30 and ended with 320 dead on New Zealand roads. Road policing director Superintendent Steve Greally then said police were seeing ‘‘the same basic mistakes’’.

Police had launched Operation Deterrence, which included unpredictability as to where police would be. Asked how he measured success, Greally pointed to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries.

Police were asked yesterday if the 2022 road toll suggested the operation had failed. While not directly answering the question, they sent a statement from Greally.

‘‘Reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads will take an all-of-system approach,’’ it said. ‘‘Police is one part of the safe system – our focus is on driver behaviour – and police remain committed to working with our partners Waka Kotahi [NZ Transport Agency] and the Ministry of Transport to make our roads safer.’’