Excess speed is believed to have been a factor in a crash that killed a 20-year-old man.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter said the Tauranga man, who was driving a Mazda 3, died when his car crashed into a lamp post and a tree on Cameron Rd about 5.40am on Saturday.

He said the man was driving from the Greerton end of Cameron Rd and as he went through the 15th Ave intersection on a red light, he narrowly missed another car.

The second car was driving through the intersection on a green light towards Welcome Bay.

The scene of the fatal single-car crash on Cameron Rd. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Hunter said the man’s vehicle hit a grassed median strip, struck a lamp post, then hit a tree on the median strip.

Hunter said he believed the driver would have died instantly.

“From our initial investigation, it appears excessive speed is a factor in the crash, and the serious crash unit is doing further testing of the scene today, including measuring skid marks.”

He said the man had been identified by his family.

A Cameron Rd resident, who asked not to be named, said she was “semi-awake” when she heard two loud bangs about 5.40 am on Saturday.

“The second enormous bang must have been when the car hit the large tree on the median strip.”

The scene where a 20-year-old Tauranga man died in a car crash on Cameron Rd. Photo / Sandra Conchie

She said when she looked over her fence and down the road, the Mazda was wrapped around the tree and its front bumper was on the road to the left of the car.

The resident said crash debris was strewn everywhere.

She said before police and the fire and emergency services arrived, members of the public used the lights on their mobile phones to try to slow down vehicles coming through the intersection.

The woman said it was “very upsetting” and sad not only for the driver’s family but those who witnessed the crash, including a woman walking her dog.

She said she wanted to praise the police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff for their quick response. Tragically, it was clear the driver could not have survived the crash.

“My thoughts are with their family at this very sad time.”

A motorbike rider has been critically injured in a crash at the Te Maunga interchange. Photo / Google Maps

Meanwhile, Hunter said police were also investigating a critical-injury crash involving a motorcyclist in Mount Maunganui about 3.50pm on Saturday.

He said the crash happened near the top of the Bayfair flyover near the intersection of State Highway 29A and State Highway 2, heading toward the Tauranga Eastern Link.

Hunter said the motorbike hit a barrier. The rider was thrown over the barrier and landed down a bank.

He said the rider had many hours of surgery after suffering massive injuries, including fractures, broken bones and internal injuries, and remains in a critical condition in Tauranga Hospital.

He urged motorists to “watch their speed”, particularly when travelling through traffic lights and intersections.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post and has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.