Hikutaia road fatality

Crash Investigators are currently at the scene of a fatal crash near Thames in which it appears a driver may have drowned overnight after being trapped in his over-turned vehicle that came to rest in a canal.

Sergeant Jim Corbett of the Thames Strategic Traffic Unit said emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on Puna Rd, Hikutaia, about 9.30am.

"Initial indications are that the 47-year-old man's Holden Commodore saloon has left the road and rolled, coming to rest in the water. It appears the driver has tried to get out but the narrowness of the canal would have prevented him opening the doors.

"Work is currently underway trying to determine what caused the car to leave the road and how long the vehicle had been there, the man had not been seen for 12 hours," he said.

The man's name has not yet been released and his death brings the Waikato Road Toll to 25 compared to 22 for the same period last year.