Four dead on the roads

Four people are dead following road accidents in Waikato, the East Coast and Hawke's Bay today.

The accidents occurred just hours before the official holiday road toll begins at 4pm this afternoon.

Two people were killed and two more have moderate to serious injuries after a 4WD they were travelling in hit a power pole on Rangitukia Road on the East Coast, about 14 kilometres north east of Tikitiki, this afternoon.

One of the injured was airlifted to Gisborne Hospital in a serious condition. The ages and sexes of the victims were not immediately available.

In Waikato, a man in his 50s was killed in an accident on Rotowaro Road, Huntly after his car failed to take a right hand bend and rolled down a 10 metre bank.

His car landed upside down in a creek partially submerged and police have praised the bravery of passing members of the public who pulled the man from his car and tired to revive him.

Elsewhere, emergency services were also at the scene of a fatal accident on the Napier-Hastings expressway. 

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old North Canterbury man has been airlifted to hospital after his car collided with a milk truck and another car on State Highway 1 at Woodend this morning.

Police said the man's car appeared to cross the centre line at the corner of Sandhills Road and hit the car and then the truck.

The impact caused three wheels to come off the truck, one which hit another car, causing slight damage.

After being cut from his car by the Fire Service, the man was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital with moderate to serious injuries.

- © Fairfax NZ News