One person is dead and several others have been badly injured after two crashes in 15 minutes near Thames.
The first crash happened on State Highway 25, between Kopu Bridge and the turn-off to Turua, about 1.25pm.
Police said they understood one car travelled across the centre line and collided with another car.
The driver of one of the cars died shortly after the crash and the other was in a critical condition. The police said there were no passengers.
The second crash happened about 1.40pm, when a car went over the bank on Kopu-Hikaui Road.
Four people were in the vehicle. One person was taken to hospital in a critical condition, another in a serious condition and a third in a moderate condition.
The fourth person suffered minor injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit was investigating both crashes.
Two-car crash near Wellington
Meanwhile, a man has been seriously injured in a third crash today, on Haywards Hill Road at Judgeford near Wellington.
The two-car crash happened just after 7.30pm.
