The weekend of July 4 and 5 has reported one of the highest road death tolls of the year in New Zealand with eight deaths in eight separate accidents around the country in a matter of just 48 hours.

Six of the eight road crashes were reported fatal; one road accident was reported to be serious with injured motorists transferred to the hospital and a driveway incident that killed a child.

1. Dunedin, Saturday, July 3

The first incident was reported on Saturday morning, July 4 at around 3:30 a.m., where a car caught fire after crashing into a truck on Edward King Street, Dunedin.

There were three people in the car, the driver and one passenger died of the impact, and the second passenger and driver of the truck were transferred to Dunedin Hospital where they remain.

Police had earlier said, due to the condition of victims’ bodies, a special team of staff were called to help identify them. Identities of the deceased are not yet released to the public.

2. Tauranga, Saturday, July 3

Police were notified of a child hit by a car in a driveway on Carlton Street in Tauranga on Saturday, July 3, just after 3 p.m. The child died at the scene, and the Serious Crash Unit was informed. The police is investigating the incident.

3. Parnassus Road, Cheviot, Canterbury, Sunday, July 5:

Police were called to a serious crash report on Parnassus Road in Cheviot, Canterbury on Sunday, July 5 at around 2 p.m., where two vehicles said to have gone off the road between Factory and Levins Roads. One person died at the scene.

4. Masterton, Wellington, Sunday, July 5:

Police were called to a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian at around 7:13 p.m. on Sunday, July 5 on High Street, Masterton. The pedestrian was taken to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition, however, died later.

5. Christchurch-Akaroa Road, Canterbury:

Police were called to a scene of a serious crash at the intersection of State Highway 75 (Christchurch-Akaroa Road) and Graylees Road after a car rolled that at round 9:30 p.m. One person died as a result of the accident.

6. North Parade, Richmond, Sunday, July 5:

Emergency services were alerted to a motorcycle that crashed into a fence on North Parade, Richmond, Christchurch, Canterbury at around 9:20 p.m. One person was seriously injured of the incident who later died of the collision.

7. Taradale, Napier, Sunday, July 5:

A sole occupant of a vehicle died at the scene after the collision on Springfield Road in Taradale, Napier, on Sunday night, around 11:50 p.m. July 5. Police is investigating the accident.

8. Serious crash, Waitemata, Sunday, July 5

Emergency services were called to a serious crash between the intersection of Oraha Road and Koraha Road in Kumeu. The two-vehicle crash was reported around 3.10 p.m. The incident reported two serious and one moderate injury but no fatality.