The name of the woman who died in Tuesday's fatal crash between a truck and a car on State Highway 1 north of Hampden will not be released until she has been formally identified, police say.
A 64-year-old Dunedin woman died when the blue Honda Jazz she was driving collided with a butcher's truck, near the Big Kuri Creek bridge, just north of Hampden about 11.30am on Tuesday.
The driver of the northbound truck was uninjured in the crash, but the Dunedin woman died at the scene.
Both drivers were the only occupants of their vehicles.
Senior Sergeant Jason McCoy said next of kin had been notified of the woman's death, but due to the extent of injuries, the formal identification process was still being completed.
Police were confident of the identity of the deceased, but Snr Sgt McCoy said no information would be released until formal identification was completed.
Dental records were yesterday being examined.
Snr Sgt McCoy said police were still appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.
''If anyone did see it, we'd like to hear from them,'' he said.
The stretch of State Highway 1 was closed for about six hours while the serious crash unit examined the scene and the road was cleared.
When the road reopened about 5.15pm on Tuesday, traffic was backed up as far as the Mill House to the north and close to Palmerston to the south.
Police thanked motorists for their patience, as no detours were available.
Anyone who saw the crash can contact the Oamaru Police Station on (03) 433-1400.
