Fatigue and a failure to make it click appear to be major contributors to a crash that claimed the life of a man south of Cambridge yesterday.
Waikato Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said a emergency services were called to the scene of the three vehicle crash on SH1 at Karapiro about 4.15pm.
"Initial indications are the 35-year-old South Auckland man died after he lost control of his northbound Ford van which failed to negotiate a slight bend, clipped an oncoming Toyota Corolla and collided head on with a southbound Nissan Navara.
"The man was not wearing a seatbelt and as his van rolled he was thrown out of the vehicle. The van burst into flames and members of the public dragged him clear of the flames however he died of his injuries at the scene a short time later."
Mr Tooman said an act that takes seconds could have been enough to save the man's life but the decision not to wear a seatbelt has had deadly consequences.
Four people travelling in the Navara suffered minor to moderate injuries and were taken to Waikato Hospital by ambulance
The three people travelling in the Toyota Corolla were shaken by their ordeal but escaped injury.
SH1 was closed for about two hours to allow Serious Crash Unit investigators to carry out a preliminary analysis and clear the scene.
The dead man's name is expected to be released this afternoon.
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