Driver of fatal crash car stopped for speeding

The teenage driver of a car involved in a crash which killed three people had earlier been stopped by police for speeding.

The 17-year-old female and her 18-year-old male and female passengers died at the scene when their car and a utility collided on State Highway 2 at Maramarua in the Waikato, one of the country's worst accident blackspots.

Mary Jane Jo Vanna Kingi-Te Purei, Tiata Te Arohanui Maxwell and their male friend, Te Maungarongo Te Kuiri Kingi, all of Poverty Bay, left Gisborne that day to travel to south Auckland.

The driver had been stopped by police in Matawhai near Gisborne at 4pm after clocking speeds of 130kph, Waikato police spokesman Andrew McAlley told NZPA today.

"She was issued with an infringement notice for speeding and carrying unauthorised passengers in relation to her graduated driver's licence," he said.

"We are making efforts to track down the officer who issued the notice, which was recovered in the wreckage of the car."

The dangerous stretch of highway was closed for two hours today as police tried to find out why the car and ute collided.

Investigations continued at the scene despite heavy rain, with a scene survey conducted by the Waikato serious crash unit, Mr McAlley said.

The road was expected to reopen this afternoon.

Police said it was too early to say if drugs or alcohol were involved, but said they had concerns about the state of the tires on the Ford Probe car.

It appeared the car lost control on a slight bend and spun into the path of an eastbound Ford Courier.

The teens had to be cut out of the car and the ute driver was airlifted to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital with serious injuries.

The deaths had been reported to the coroner, who also attended the scene today.

The stretch of SH2 between Pokeno and the turnoff to Thames, dubbed the "unforgiving highway", has had 31 road deaths and seen 56 seriously injured in the last seven years.

- NZPA