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<\/p>\nThe number of people killed on our roads during the Christmas and New Year break is the highest since 2016\/17.<\/p>\n
A total of 16 people have lost their lives around the country in crashes and incidents since the official period started at 4pm on Christmas Eve. It ends tomorrow at 6am.<\/p>\n
This time last year, 11 people died during the holiday period. The year before that, the road toll stood at four. In 2018\/19 nine people were killed and the year before that, 12 people died.<\/p>\n
The highest number of deaths on New Zealand’s roads during the Christmas and New Year holiday period in recent times was during the 2016\/17 season, when 19 people lost their lives on our roads.<\/p>\n
Police confirmed this evening that a person has died after a car downed powerlines and caught fire in Waikato this afternoon.<\/p>\n
Emergency services were called to Dawson Rd in Taupiri following the single-car crash at 4pm.<\/p>\n
One person was also seriously injured.<\/p>\n
“Police extends their sincere condolences to the person’s family and loved ones,” police said.<\/p>\n
“Police will be making enquiries into what has occurred on behalf of the coroner, who will release their finding in due course.”<\/p>\n
Earlier this morning another person died following a crash near Nelson Lakes National Park in Tasman.<\/p>\n
Emergency services responded after the crash on State Highway 65 at Maruia around 8.30am.<\/p>\n
One other person received moderate injuries.<\/p>\n
Police are making inquiries into the circumstances of the crash on behalf of the coroner, police said in a statement.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, four people were killed on roads around New Zealand; including a pedestrian and a motorcyclist.<\/p>\n
A male rider died in a crash on State Highway 12 in Kaih\u016b, Northland, about 12.20am.<\/p>\n
A motorcycle passenger suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Whang\u0101rei Hospital.<\/p>\n
Later that afternoon, a person died in a single-car crash on Arapuni Rd in the Waip\u0101 District in Waikato.<\/p>\n
Another person was killed in a crash in Gisborne about 4.40pm that same afternoon.<\/p>\n
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Waih\u012b Rd in Judea, Tauranga, about 9.40pm that Sunday night.<\/p>\n
New Year’s Day also brought with it tragedy, after two people were killed in incidents in the early hours of the first day of 2022.<\/p>\n
Police announced that a teenager had died after being struck by a vehicle in Omaha, north of Auckland.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The incident happened about 4am on Omaha Drive.<\/p>\n
Authorities later named the victim was 17-year-old Joshua Hartner, a student at Auckland Grammar School.<\/p>\n
About an hour before that incident, emergency services were called to St Aubyn St in New Plymouth after reports that a car had crashed into a parked vehicle.<\/p>\n
A person was later confirmed to have died in that crash.<\/p>\n
Christmas Eve<\/strong><\/p>\n The first person killed during the official holiday period was Shaquille Dempsey, of Turangi.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old died in a crash on SH1 in Motutere, south of Taup\u014d. Emergency crews were called to the area at 7.15pm.<\/p>\n Christmas Day<\/strong><\/p>\n Three people were killed on Christmas Day alone, including a motorcyclist involved in a crash in Gordonton, Waikato.<\/p>\n Emergency crews were called to the area at around 9.20am. However, the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.<\/p>\n About the same time, emergency services were also heading to State Highway 1 Waihola, Otago, after a crash between a car and a truck. One person died in that collision.<\/p>\n The third Christmas Day fatality was a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle later that night in the Auckland suburb of New Windsor.<\/p>\n The incident happened on Rosamund Ave about 10.15pm.<\/p>\n