A Wellington couple involved in a three-car crash in Northland are deeply moved by the help they received from the public and emergency services.
Allan Galbraith, 78, and his wife Joan, 77, had been holidaying in Russell where they have family and were on their way to a birthday and wedding in Auckland when they were involved in the collision on State Highway 1, Kauri, north of Whangarei, on November 27.
The crash trapped the couple in their red Mazda for 40 minutes before emergency services freed them. Mr Galbraith doesn't remember "a great deal" about what happened but remembers the help they received.
"It happened so suddenly, we were shocked and surprised," he said "There was an off-duty fireman who came to help and he asked if my neck was sore and gave me a collar. There were other people behind us and on the side of us and they just kept talking to us and kept us calm and steady."