One person had to be freed from a vehicle and a rescue helicopter has taken the injured person to Waikato Hospital. This includes 153 road crash deaths where alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor, and 120 fatalities where speeding was a factor. The official holiday period does not begin until 4pm on December 24, 2019 and ends on 3 January 3, 2020. Last year, there were nine deaths and 69 serious injuries over that holiday period. Historically, the lowest number of deaths for the Christmas holiday period is six, recorded in 2012/13.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 21, 2019 02:37 UTC