Three people emerged unaided from the wreckage of a crash when a van overturned after a collision with an oncoming vehicle-under-tow near Hastings.
The injuries suffered in the State Highway 2 crash south of Hastings yesterday were not thought to be serious, but police Eastern District road policing officer Senior Constable Andy Clinton said it looked much worse when emergency services arrived to a scene strewn with vehicles and debris, and traffic banking up in both directions.
The accident happened just before 9.45am when a southbound van and an oncoming vehicle being towed by another van clipped each other, and another southbound vehicle was unable to avoid the collision. The towing van was not in any collision.
Mr Clinton said the road between Pekapeka Swamp and Te Mahanga Rd was closed for about 45 minutes while the debris was cleared. The Fire Service attended but there was no need to extract anyone from the vehicles. All occupants had managed to get out unaided.
One person from each vehicle involved was taken by St John Ambulance to Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings. Police were trying to establish how the collisions happened.
