31 Dec 2016

Holiday road toll rises to 14 after fatal crash in Northland

7:39 am on 31 December 2016

The Christmas holiday road toll - which still has more than four days to go - has risen to 14 after a fatal crash in Northland.

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Photo: RNZ

One man has died in the single-car crash near Dargaville.

The Fire Service said emergency services were called to the crash, just after 5.30pm on Friday, but the man was found dead at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said State Highway 12 at Aranga was closed and a detour was in place.

The road toll is now two higher than than the whole of last year's holiday period.

The holiday road toll period ends at 8am on 4 January.

Earlier today, police confirmed that a 24-year-old motorcyclist reported missing at Aorangi Mt Cook on 27 December had been found dead.

The death of Lucas Sven Halgren, 24, was the fifth motorcycle-related death this holiday season.

Police today also released the name of the man killed in a motorcycle crash on Tuesday on the Waipahi Highway, near Gore.

He was 46-year-old Jason Lilly, of Christchurch.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old boy who was hit by a vehicle near Ninety Mile Beach in the Far North yesterday is now in a stable condition.

The boy was flown to Auckland's Starship Hospital with critical injuries after the accident on Te Paki Stream Road, but his condition had improved.

The Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed one of its vehicles was involved in the accident and it was offering support to the fisheries officer.