Man dies after his car hits a tree in Kaipara, Northland

A 58-year-old man has died after his station wagon lost control and crashed into a tree in Kaipara, Northland.

A farmer at a Taipuha address called emergency services shortly after 3pm on Wednesday to report a serious crash on Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd, between Burke Rd and Taipuha Station Rd.

Serious crash investigator Warren Bunn said the farmer told police he heard a “loud crash”. He then went to the source of the sound and saw a man “badly hurt” and trapped in a Toyota station wagon.

“We believe the man was heading southbound on the Paparoa-Oakleigh Road and it was when he was taking a leftward bend that he lost control, crossed the centre line and crashed head-on to a tree on the other side,” Bunn said.

The investigator confirmed the man had been wearing a seatbelt and that police were still investigating the circumstances of the crash.

Firefighters extracted the man from the station wagon and he was flown immediately to Whangārei Hospital with critical injuries.

However, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Nine people have died on New Zealand’s roads this year, according to the Ministry of Transport’s road toll data.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.