Auckland police were twice at the scene of the same suburban road last night for two separate crashes which killed two people and hospitalised another.

The western suburb of Massey’s Don Buck Rd has been since closed off to the public, between Gallony Ave and Redhills Rd.

The first crash occurred around 11pm, when a Toyota van rolled down a bank into a cluster of trees.

A second person has died following the crash about 4.20am on Don Buck Road, Massey, this morning. Photo / Hayden Woodward

According to a photographer at the scene, the sole male occupant received moderate to serious injuries.

Photos at the scene of the crash show the van badly dented and windows smashed, following the vehicle’s off-road impact.

Police confirmed the man’s van was the only car involved, he was taken to a local hospital as a result.

The first crash occurred around 11pm, when a Toyota van rolled down a bank into a cluster of trees. Photo / NZME

Five hours later, police returned to the road to the same road to respond to a second crash on Don Buck Rd.

Acting Inspector Terry Lee said police were alerted to the second crash at 4.16am and found one person dead at the scene of the incident.

• 'He never made it': Clue as to cause of crash that killed parents, left 3 kids orphaned
• Person seriously injured after car crashes into building in Auckland
• 'Everything I had is gone': Family mourn loss of son in car crash four days before Christmas

A second person was taken away to hospital in a serious condition. Police confirmed this morning the second person had died.

Lee said the circumstances of what caused the crash aren’t clear at this stage, police are working to build a picture of its cause.

Due to the ongoing investigation, a section of Don Buck Rd has been closed to the public.

“We understand the road closure will cause disruption and officers are working hard to complete the scene examination as quickly as possible so the road can be reopened,” said Lee.

The holiday road toll for 2022 now stands at twelve deaths. Photo / Alan Gibson

At this stage of the investigation, police aren’t able to make any further comment on the second crash.

This now brings the holiday road toll for 2022 to twelve, the most fatal road incidents in five years except for last year - which saw 16 people die on New Zealand roads over the holiday period.

Don Buck Rd has been at the centre of several police incidents in recent years - starting in 2018 when a man was fatally injured by an explosion, caused by a welding accident in a small shed.

A pedestrian was badly hurt following a crash on the suburban street in 2020, while in February last year a man was arrested on the road after an armed police operation.

Then in April this year, the road was one of several across Auckland which saw properties shot up during ongoing gang tensions - with armed police swarming on a property in Cherry Tree Pl, off Don Buck Rd.