Man found after Waiouru triple-fatal crash
Monday, 1 June 2026
A man police were searching for after a triple-fatal crash has been found.
The Waiouru crash happened on what police have called a horror night on the roads, resulting in five deaths.
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash on SH1 about 2.55am Monday.
They found three people dead, a police statement said. Two more people were seriously injured.
They also launched “a search and rescue operation” to find a sixth person thought to have been in one of the vehicles.
Police said shortly before 5pm that the man “initially believed to have been in the vehicle that crashed in Waiouru” had been located.
“There are no further concerns for his welfare and Police are speaking with him.”
The crash happened between Shawcroft Rd and Access Rd No 17, police said.
The highway was open again shortly before 11am, with police staff still working in the area. Enquiries continue into how the crash happened.
The five deaths overnight were “absolutely gutting”, Road Policing director Superintendent Steve Greally said.
Families would be left dealing with “the awful reality that their lives will never be the same”.
Police were urging those travelling home from the holiday weekend to take every possible safety precaution, he said.
As well as the deaths in the Waiouru crash, one seriously injured person was airlifted to Palmerston North Hospital and another was taken by road to Whanganui Hospital, Hato Hone St John said.
St John had sent two ambulances, one rapid response vehicle, one manager’s vehicle and one helicopter, spokesperson Siobhan Campbell said.
Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Shannon Lucas said one fire truck from Waiouru was sent to the scene.
On arrival, they found multiple people were trapped as a result of the two-car crash, she said.
Firefighters worked to free them and left by 6.48am, Lucas said.
Taupō councillor Sandra Greenslade - who represents the Tūrangi-Tongariro ward - said the crash was “yet another absolute heartbreaking tragedy” on the worst part of SH1.
She called for the highway’s Taupō to Waiouru stretch to be deemed a Road of National Significance. However, she said that had been put in the too hard basket by several governments.
Ruapehu District Councillor David Knottage said the Desert Rd was a popular tourist route known for its scenic views.
Speed and fatigue were general issues for drivers on the route, although he did not know the circumstances of this crash, which he dubbed “a real tragedy”.
In the wake of the string of fatal crashes, police reminded drivers that four main factors contribute to death or serious injury on the roads.
“Those are speeding, not wearing your seatbelt, distracted driving, or driving impaired, including through tiredness,” Greally said.
“If you’re getting on the road today, please buckle up, put your phone away, watch your speed, and if you are at all impaired by alcohol, drugs, or tiredness, stop — don’t get behind the wheel.”
Another of the five overnight deaths was due to a crash in the Waikato region - in Wairakei, near Taupō.
A car hit a tree on Poihipi Rd, between Tukairangi Rd and Oruanui Rd, on Sunday night.
The collision was reported by a member of the public at 7.25pm, a police spokesperson said.
In an update on Monday morning police said the driver, the sole occupant of the car, had died.
The Serious Crash Unit had examined the scene, and the death would be referred to the Coroner.
Waikato also had other road deaths over the long weekend, including after a crash in central Taupō on Friday.
Emergency services were called to a crash on Te Heuheu Rd just before 6.30pm, and bystanders had rushed to help.
One person died at the scene while two others were critically hurt, police said.
Another person died after a car crashed on a private property in Ngāruawāhia on Friday morning.
Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash on Waipa Heights Rd about 10.50am.
“Sadly, the driver – who was the sole occupant – was located deceased at the scene,” said a police spokesperson.