Hawke's Bay crashes injure eight people

Eight people were injured in Hawke's Bay in two crashes. Photo / File

Eight people were injured in two crashes two hours apart in rural Hawke's Bay on Tuesday.

A farmer, understood to be aged in the 70s, was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital by rescue helicopter after being winched from the area around his vehicle 5-6 metres down a farm-track bank off Flag Range Rd, Sherenden, about 2.30pm.

Fire and Emergency NZ crews from Hastings also rescued a dog from the vehicle.
While the man was initially reported to have serious injuries, the dog was not thought to have been hurt.

Police reported initially the man was believed to have received serious injuries.

The second crash happened when two vehicles collided at the intersection of Stock and Maraekakaho roads, Bridge Pa, about 4.30pm, police said.

Seven people received injuries which were not life-threatening. The St John Ambulance Service responded with three ambulances and took three patients to Hawke's Bay Hospital and four to the Hastings Medical Centre.

Two of those taken to hospital had what were assessed at the scene as moderate injuries and the remainder had minor injuries.

The area was closed to traffic for some time with the vehicles blocking the road, police said.

It was a busy afternoon for emergency services, with Fire and Emergency New Zealand also called to a fire in a log skidder off Raratu Rd, Kahuranaki, at 3.20pm. The fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived.