Two people are dead after a car crashed and hit a tree on a rural back road in the Waikato this morning.
The crash occurred just after 10am on Gillard Rd near Ngahinapouri, 16km southwest of Hamilton. There were five people in the car. The front passenger and the front rear passenger in the car were killed.
The police serious crash unit is investigating the crash, but initial indications are that the car was travelling along an uphill left-hand blind bend when it crossed the centre line and began sliding. The car then apparently braked and skidded across the road, down a bank and hit a tree.
Police say speed may have been a factor in the crash.
A male who was in the front passenger seat and a female who was in the left back passenger seat died instantly. They have not been formally identified yet.
Another female back passenger is in Waikato Hospital with serious injuries. Another male passenger and the driver suffered minor injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash. The road was closed for around two hours after the crash.