As stated by Inspector Matt Cranshaw, Waikato Police:
Hamilton Police are continuing to make enquiries following the fatal crash on Ulster Street, Hamilton, in the early hours of this morning.
The crash, involving a car and a truck, happened about 3.45am, with two people dying at the scene.
Police commend the heroic actions of the officers who pulled two of the vehicle's occupants to safety while it was on fire - these two occupants remain in a critical condition in hospital.
The officers who had been treated for smoke inhalation are continuing to recover at home. Ongoing support has been made available to them.
Formal identification and next of kin processes are ongoing.
We can confirm a Police unit was already on patrol in the vicinity of the crash at the time it occurred, and was able to respond instantly. We can also confirm that Police were not following or pursuing this vehicle leading up to the crash.
We would also like to thank those members of the public who rushed to offer their help.
We ask that members of the public who witnessed the event and may have recorded any parts of the incident to make contact with Police on 105 quoting file number 230709/5741.
The Serious Crash Unit attended the scene and Police will now work to investigate the full circumstances of what has occurred.
