Two people are dead and a third person is seriously injured after a two car crash in the Far North this afternoon, police say.

The injured person is being flown to Auckland City Hospital.

The crashed occurred on State Highway 10 just north of Kaeo about 2.20pm. The road remains blocked in both directions and diversions are in place at SH10 and Matauri Bay R and at SH10 and Whangaroa Rd.

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.

Following the crash, police said four people were trapped - three in one vehicle, one in another.

Three people have already died on New Zealand roads in the past 24 hours.

Just before midnight last night a man died in a crash on Mountain View Rd in Hikurangi in Northland.

A further two people died when a truck and a van collided in Whakapapa in the central North Island at 6.40am today.

That crash brought this year's road toll to 72 - four more than this time last year.