Serious accident under investigation

The cause of a crash which closed State Highway 1 and left a Northland man with serious head injuries is still being investigated.

The accident occurred about 2.15pm on Thursday when the driver of a northbound Toyota 4x4 appeared to lose control about 2km south of Kawakawa.

The vehicle struck a bank, rolled and came to rest on its side in the middle of the road.

A 47-year-old man had to be removed from the wreckage by volunteers of the Kawakawa Fire Brigade and was taken to Bay of Islands Hospital by St John Ambulance. He was later transferred to Whangarei Hospital.

His 15-year-old daughter was also taken to hospital with moderate injuries, while a woman and another child suffered cuts and bruises.

A specialist investigator from the police Serious Crash Unit visited the scene, as did two fire safety officers who had been on their way to a house fire at Ngataki, north of Kaitaia.

Sergeant Nathan Davis, of Kawakawa police, said the cause was still being investigated yesterday.

Road and weather conditions did not play a part.

Police were still interviewing witnesses and were getting video footage from a passing Fonterra milk tanker.