Trapped driver seriously injured in collision

FOUR HURT: The scene where a car and truck collided on SH29 yesterday.PHOTOS/ANDREW WARNER

A 21-year-old man is in a serious condition at Tauranga Hospital after a car and truck collided on SH29.

Head of Western Bay of Plenty road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said emergency services were called at 2.14pm yesterday after a car turning right out of Pori Pori Rd collided with a heavy truck and trailer unit heading towards Tauranga.

Four people from the car were taken to Tauranga Hospital from the scene.

The 21-year-old male driver was in the intensive care unit. The three passengers, males from Tauranga, were all in a stable condition.

The truck driver was not injured, he said.

The serious crash unit had attended the scene and an investigation was ongoing to find out the cause of the crash, he said.

Mr Campion could not comment on whether alcohol or drugs had been a factor in the collision.

The state highway has a speed limit of 100km/h.

Greerton Fire Brigade station officer Neil Patrick said when Greerton and Tauranga fire services arrived on the scene one person was still trapped in the car.

Mr Patrick said it took about 10 minutes to remove the driver from the vehicle with their hydraulic rescue equipment.

Mr Patrick said the car was badly damaged.

"It had been in collision with a heavy truck so had sustained quite heavy damage."

Mr Campion said the road was closed for an hour while emergency services cleared the scene.

A diversion was also put through Omanawa Rd, Pears Rd and McLaren Falls Rd for Waikato bound vehicles. Vehicles already stuck in the traffic on the west-bound lane were seen turning and heading back to Tauranga.

Traffic was opened up to one lane about 3.30pm and the road was fully opened again after 4pm. There was still significant congestion in the area after 5pm yesterday, he said.