A $200,000 ambulance is off the road after a head-on collision with an unlicensed teenage driver on State Highway 12, north of Kaikohe.
The 18-year-old from Opononi was flown by helicopter to Whangarei Hospital in a serious condition with injuries to his face and shoulder, after colliding with an ambulance near Taheke about 5am yesterday. He was in a stable condition in hospital last night.
A female paramedic was driving the empty ambulance towards Kaikohe on a non-urgent job and received minor injuries in the crash. She managed to help volunteer firefighters from Kaikohe free the teenage driver.
![An unlicensed driver collided with an emergency vehicle.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/ACOVAFPSV6CFHTWORSZYI5UWJA.jpg?auth=269837da199ef5838aa7838373a1f1451d0f297db22c546840f7d0c97f79cd4a&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)
Police said it appeared the teen was not wearing a seatbelt.