Waikato Police urge drivers not to become complacent following Otorohanga fatality

The finding of a badly damaged car with a deceased driver inside was an unfortunate early morning discovery for an overseas tourist out jogging in Otorohanga on Saturday.

Acting District Road Policing Manager, Senior Sergeant Jeff Penno of the Waikato Highway Patrol, said the sole occupant of the Mitsubishi saloon was 22-year-old Earl David Karaka KINGI of Cambridge.

"Mr KINGI was found deceased in the wreckage of his car by an American tourist out jogging. We're still working to establish the time of the crash however Mr KINGI left Cambridge about 4.30am and was expected at work about 5am.

"An ambulance was called to the scene on SH3, on the northern side of Otorohanga, at about 7.45am, the Serious Crash Unit is investigating the cause of the crash however initial indications are Mr KINGI failed to negotiate a slight right hand bend and his car left the road, hitting a tree."

Mr Penno said the car has then gone down a bank and come to a rest where it was found, in an industrial yard.

"At this stage speed appears to have been a contributing factor in the crash and Mr KINGI'S death is the tenth on Waikato roads so far this year compared to 12 for the same period in 2011.

"We're urging drivers not to get complacent, while the number of deaths is down from last year the number of fatal crashes is not. At this time last year 12 people had died in nine fatal crashes and so far this year we have had the same number of fatal crashes."