One killed in crash south of Warkworth, SH1 reopens

One person was killed in a serious accident north of Auckland tonight that closed State Highway 1.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the two-car crash between Puhoi and Warkworth, near Pohuehue, around 5 p.m.

Police have now confirmed that one person died and another is reported to have suffered minor injuries.

“The Serious Accident Unit has surveyed the scene and the road has now reopened. Police thank the motorists for their patience.”

Earlier, a police spokesman said the road was expected to remain closed in both directions for some time and that motorists should expect long delays.

“The police were called around 5pm. Initial reports indicate that there have been injuries.”

NZTA said the road was expected to be closed for 3-4 hours while police conducted a serious investigation of the accident.

A northbound detour was installed across SH16 from Silverdale, the agency said.

A photo of the scene just after 5 p.m. showed a collision involving multiple vehicles scattered across the northbound and southbound lanes.

They could be seen forming lines of traffic.

A northbound motorist in the area said traffic stopped at least a kilometer after the accident.

He said it appeared that a ute and a car were involved in the accident.