A motorist has died after crashing their car in Manawatū last night.

Police said the single-vehicle crash on Rongotea Rd, Rongotea was reported at 12.20am.

The driver, who was the only person in the car, was found dead at the scene.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are under way.

It is the first fatal crash during the official Christmas and New Year period, which runs from December 23 to January 4.

The provisional number of road deaths for 2022 stands at 362, the worst rate since 2018.