Man killed after 4WD crashes down bank near Oxford

A man in his 20s was found dead near his four-wheel-drive after it plunged down a bank in one of two fatal crashes in Canterbury during Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Police said the man, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, died from his injuries after crashing off Lees Valley Rd, near Oxford.

It is understood he was returning from a 4WD trip in Lees Valley with an associate. They were driving in separate vehicles when the victim’s vehicle left the road.

Canterbury police search and rescue led an operation to rescue the driver after he was reported missing shortly after 7pm on Sunday.

A police spokeswoman said that the vehicle was found about 9.30pm down a bank, with the man’s body a short distance away.

It was among four fatal crashes on New Zealand roads during the official Queen’s Birthday road toll period, which began at 4pm on Friday and ends at 6am today.

Six people died during the same period last year.

Police were reportedly assessing the status of Lees Valley Rd, which was in an isolated, rural area, with the NZ Transport Agency to check if the crash would count toward the road toll.

In the second fatal crash in North Canterbury, a woman was killed after the motorbike she was a passenger on stuck a stationary car, which was waiting to turn, on State Highway 1 north of Christchurch, on Sunday afternoon.

She was thrown off the bike, run over by oncoming car and pronounced dead at the scene.

The rider of the motorcycle was taken to Christchurch Hospital by ambulance where he remained in a critical condition. One other person was treated for minor injuries.

Police are yet to name the deceased.

In another crash, Inspector Al Stewart said the driver of a car on the Rakaia River Rd was lucky to escape serious injury about 2am on Sunday when he lost control and his vehicle rolled.

Another driver using the rural road discovered the single vehicle crash and helped the driver, who had since been discharged from Ashburton Hospital.

In Mangawhai, Northland, a car veered off a road before it hit rocks and flipped into mangroves.

The sole occupant, a man in his 40s, died at the scene.

Sing Yieng Pau, known as Lisa Yieng, was killed on Saturday after her vehicle and a logging truck collided near Te Puke.