This death brings the holiday road toll to five after a series of crashes in the last few days.
Yesterday, a two-vehicle crash on SH1, near Kaikōura, shortly after 9.30am killed one person.
The first death was a man who was struck by a car on a Napier street on Boxing Day suffered critical injuries and died in hospital on Monday.
The second road toll death was recorded on Tuesday, after a single-vehicle crash on SH2 in Tangoio, Hawke’s Bay.
Last year, 15 people were killed on New Zealand roads during the official Christmas holiday period, which this summer started at 4pm on Christmas Eve and ends at 6am on Monday, January 5.
The provisional number of road deaths in 2025 currently stands at 272, down from 292 in 2024. The decline marks the third consecutive year New Zealand has seen a reduction in fatalities on its roads.
Superintendent Steve Greally, director of road policing, said the ongoing decrease is because of Operation Open Roads.
He said police have nearly tripled the number of alcohol breath tests over the past three years, alongside sustained efforts by officers working to prevent serious injuries and fatalities.