Two people were killed in a car crash in Kihikihi, south of Te Awamutu, on Saturday night - the day's second double fatality on North Island roads.
Police say a car carrying four people rolled following the collision at an intersection in the town and the occupants were thrown out.
Two of them died at the scene and the other two were taken to hospital. The sole occupant of the other car had to be cut from the wreckage and is also in hospital.
Desert Road closed by crash
Earlier, the Desert Road in the central North Island was closed for most of the day because of a fatal crash.
Two men travelling south were killed at about 8am when their Toyota sedan was in a collision north of Waiouru with a truck-and-trailer unit heading north.
The road was icy in the morning but police say it's too early to say if that was a factor in the crash.
They say both those killed - Aucklanders in their 20s - died at the scene.
