A 22-year-old Indian man is said to have died in a road accident in Tauranga on Saturday morning, December 22.

Community members identify the man as Tarandeep Singh Deol of Bay of Plenty.

The accident occurred on Te Puna Road, near Tauranga, early this morning.

Police was called to the accident scene just before 4:30 a.m. after reports of a single-vehicle crash. The other person in the car sustained critical injuries and was taken to the hospital by emergency services.

It is believed that Mr Deol was coming back from work the accident happened.

Police media released an appeal to the public to drive safely as four people have been reported dead in the last 24 hours due to road accidents. One of whom was Mr Deol.

Police are extremely saddened by the four deaths that have occurred on our roads over the last 24 hours.

This is a truly horrific start to the holiday season.

We cannot imagine how this will impact the families of those involved at what is supposed to be a happy time of year.

Our hearts go out to them.

The last thing Police want to do is turn up on a loved one’s doorstep in the days before Christmas and tell them someone is dead.

We need the message to get through – when you’re driving, you need to take on board the responsibility that goes with it.

This means giving driving your full attention, always wearing your seatbelt, and not driving drunk, drugged, or fatigued.

With more people on the roads over the holiday season, and with a severe weather forecast for a number of regions in the coming days, it’s also crucial that you drive to the conditions.

We want everyone to make it where they’re going safely, and to be around to spend the holidays with their loved ones.