A fatal car crash in the Coromandel on Monday night saw the road toll for 2018 hit a decade-high.
One person was killed and four others were injured near Colville Bay just before midnight. Six ambulances were sent to the scene, with a child transported by helicopter to Starship Hospital.
One person is in a critical condition with two others suffering serious injuries.
The road toll for 2018 as of Monday night was 379 - the highest since 2009, during which 384 people lost their lives on the road.
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It's risen every year since 2013, when the toll was only 253. Last year, 378 lost their lives.
"It is horrific and we need to do something differently," Ministry of Transport spokesman Brent Johnston told NZME.
The figures are still well below historical levels - in the 1980s, more than 700 people lost their lives each year.
Newshub.
