Double fatality driver was breaching graduated licence at time of crash

Waikato Police are urging new drivers to heed the conditions of their graduated driver licences after the second double fatality crash in the District in the past three weeks.

In this latest incident a Toyota Rav 4 vehicle collided with a truck on Otewa Rd south west of Otorohanga about 2.20pm.

Waikato District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said the crash was currently being investigated by the Serious Crash Unit but initial indications were the crash was all the more tragic in that it appears to have been avoidable.

"What we understand at this time is that the 15-year-old female driver of the Rav failed to negotiate a bend and lost control of her vehicle which collided with an oncoming contractor's truck, claiming the life Otorohanga father of three, 57-year-old Malcolm John Frew.

"A 17-year-old male student from Waitomo who was travelling as a rear seat passenger in the car also lost his life while the female driver and two passengers suffered serious injuries and were airlifted by two helicopters to Waikato Hospital."

Mr Tooman said today's crash had too many similarities to another crash during Labour Weekend in which a learner driver crashed his car claiming the life of two people.

"Today's crash is a case where the driver was travelling way too fast for the environment and driving in contravention of her graduated driver's licence.

"Tragically if the drivers in both crashes had taken some simple, basic steps four people may still be alive today and four families may not have to be facing a summer without loved ones."