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It was Benjamin Simon Furze, (29) from Christchurch.
Police were called in for the serious single-vehicle accident in Harewood at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday night.
Passersby stopped to help before emergency services arrived and spoke about the carnage on social media.
Two other people were seriously injured in the crash, which is under investigation.
People who knew Furze paid tribute on social media shortly after news of the accident broke.
“It is such a tragic loss and it leaves behind beautiful children and an amazing couple,” said a family member.
His partner Kimberley McKinley later posted: “I am completely, completely broken right now; words cannot describe the feeling, I am shattered.”
Furze was a father and stepfather and is survived by his sons Cayleb and Jacon and his daughter Savannah.
It is understood that he was recently released from prison.
McKinley told Stuff that his partner was a passenger in the crashed car.
Daniel van Kessel arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after it happened and got out of his car to help.
He said there were three people, one lying “immobile” on the road, another trapped under the car and a third with serious lacerations to his hand.
“I was driving north on Russley Rd at 10:45 pm and just as I was crossing the bridge before the BP station, I noticed the fact that there were a lot of brake lights on ahead,” he said this morning.
“When I got close to 50 meters from the scene, I saw people crossing the street, which was definitely not right.
“Then I realized that the vehicle in the southbound lane looking the wrong way looked badly hit.”
The holiday road toll goes up to 11am as of this morning.
The toll period ends tomorrow.
