One person has been seriously injured in a fiery crash north of Taupō.
Police say the serious crash involving two cars happened at the intersection of SH 30 and 32 near Whakamaru at about 12pm on Friday.
One of the cars involved caught on fire and while one person is suffering from serious injuries. Others involved don't appear to be seriously hurt, police say.
The Serious Crash Unit has been advised and the road is now closed.
Motorists are being asked by police to avoid the area.
The incident comes after two people were killed in separate crashes in the Waikato region on Thursday night, bringing the Easter road toll to two just as the holiday began.
One person died and three others received moderate injuries after a truck and car collided on SH 27 in Hauraki just before 8pm.
The other died in a crash on SH 2 in Mangatāwhiri, north of Hamilton at about 9:20pm.
The official Easter road toll began at 4pm on Thursday and ends at 6am on Tuesday. Last year there were no deaths on the roads over the Easter period, mostly due to the country being in level 4 lockdown.
A pedestrian also died in Auckland on Thursday morning. Police say the 80-year-old woman was hit by a car at the intersection of Forrest Hill Road and Tristram Avenue at about 8.20am.
She was taken to hospital where she later died.
