Update 7.18pm: One person is dead and four others were hurt in a two-car crash on State Highway 2 near Katikati earlier this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the site, near Katikati, about 3.15pm. A witness told SunLive five people were taken to Tauranga Hospital by ambulance.

The age and gender of the person killed have not yet been made public. Witnesses say three cars were involved in the crash with a silver sedan crashing into a ditch. Two people were trapped and emergency services had to cut them out of the vehicle.

Earlier:

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a crash about 5km north of Katikati.

A witness at the scene says south bound traffic is backed up as police, fire and ambulance attend to the scene.

Another witnesses says it looked like at least three people had been injured at the crash which happened just after 3.15pm On State Highway 2 just north of Katikati.

'I'm about 500m from the crash and an ambulance is blocking my view. But it's pretty backed up here and traffic going south bound has come to a standstill.”

At this stage it appears a vehicle has left the road and crashed into a ditch.

New Zealand Fire Service shift manager Paul Radden says a vehicle has left the road and crashed into a ditch.

He says two crew were called to the scene to assist with two people who had been trapped in a car.

'One person has been extricated from the vehicle and is being treated while the other person remains trapped. We are currently working on getting that person out of the vehicle.”

More details as they come to hand.