The fatal crash which claimed the lives of two people on State Highway 2 has left a lasting impression on one Pukehina resident.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, says the crash happened right outside her house on State Highway 2 on Thursday afternoon.

A logging truck and car crash on the highway, between Ohinepanea Road and Beach Access Road at 3.15pm

'I was helping my brother get the cows in and when we got to the shed I noticed a pile of smoke coming from the road.

'I took off to see what it was and by the time I got there everyone was stopping.

'Someone had already called emergency services and I called my brother to grab a fire extinguisher because the truck involved was smoking away.

'The truck driver was cut to bits and in shock,” she says. 'I stayed with him, he was in shock and a bit stubborn.”

The crash happened following what she describes as a number of ‘near-misses' that she says happen on a daily basis.

'I sit on our veranda where we have a view of the main road and I say to my brother ‘there's some close calls today.'

'We see a good kilometre of the road each way, there's some idiots who drive along there every day. I cringe watching all the close calls.”

She says while her family have lived at the home for a number of years, she has only resided there for a few months.

'The only accident I've seen is when a lady was hit by a train a few months ago on Ohinepanea Road.”

Police are still investigating the cause of yesterday afternoon's fatal crash.

The highway was closed for several hours and re-opened around 12.30am.

This is the third fatal crash in the Bay of Plenty this week.

On Monday, 34-year-old Steven Antony Hart died after his vehicle crashed with a 4x4 and truck on State Highway 2, south of Katikati.

Then on Wednesday, a truck and car crash which claimed the life of 30-year-old Te Hokinga Mai Katipa from Gisborne, closed down State Highway 29 for several hours.

Police are still investigating the causes of both these fatal crashes.