The holiday road toll has climbed to six after a crash in Southland.
Emergency services raced to a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 96 about 14km north of Winton, Southland at 12:45am on Thursday.
The car had gone off the road and hit a power pole. One person died at the scene.
Police say the cause of the crash is under investigation and the road remains closed. Diversions have been put in place, but motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible.
The holiday road toll records deaths on New Zealand roads between 4pm on December 24 and 6am on January 3.
