Hatepe crash victim from Mount Maunganui
The driver of the Toyota utility killed in a crash on State Highway 1 Hatepe, south of Taupo on Wednesday night has been named.
He was Shane Anthony Robson, a 51-year-old man from Mount Maunganui.
Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash but have revealed that Mr Robson was not wearing a seatbelt when his ute crashed.
The crash happened on State Highway 1 at Hatepe, about 8.30pm, said Senior Sergeant Fane Troy of the Taupo area road policing group.
The driver was killed instantly and his ute suffered extensive damage.
"Once again a family has lost a loved one because that individual made the decision to not wear a seatbelt, Mr Troy said.
"Police cannot reiterate enough the importance of wearing your seatbelt. They do save lives."
