January 12, 2019
The incidents have prompted a warning for the large numbers of holidaymakers heading home after the break.
Intensive care paramedic Chris Deacon said of the crash between a bus and car today, "One of the vehicles looks like they've crossed the centre line and you know, if you've got two cars just doing 50km/h, that's an impact speed of 100km/h and that's sort of what it looks like, so yeah, very unfortunate".
Emergency services were called to Meadowbank just before midday, where the male driver of the car died at the scene. His passenger was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.
One witness told 1 NEWS he was mowing his lawns when he heard the crash impact, followed almost immediately by screaming.
Some passengers on the 782 service suffered minor injuries, including one woman who had five young children with her - two of which she was babysitting for a friend.
"One of her children did shoot up the centre of the bus, on the floor, and the whole question around wearing seatbelts possibly needs to be looked at," Mr Deacon said.
In another incident, paramedics and two Westpac Rescue helicopters were sent to Snells Beach, just outside Auckland, following a collision between a car and a campervan.
The male driver of the car had to be cut from the vehicle before being transported to Auckland City Hospital with a head injury.
Meanwhile, another fatal crash on the southern motorway last night caused long delays.
The smash happened near a stretch of major roadworks.
"I think, generally, the public think that cars are for transport but they're actually as lethal as carrying a gun. If you are a bad driver and you drive badly and have an accident people can die."
