Police say a man was attempting to overtake a vehicle, before a head-on crash that left a dozen people injured on State Highway 5 near Taupo

Four were taken to hospital in a serious condition and eight people are in minor to moderate conditions, after yesterday's two-vehicle crash involving a van and an SUV

Police say initial enquiries suggest the driver attempted to overtake a vehicle, and struck the second vehicle head on.

The 57-year-old van driver has been summonsed to appear in the Tauranga District Court this week on a charge of careless driving causing injury.