Seven people were injured - two in the van and five in the stationwagon - in Monday morning's crash near Taupo Bay. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Seven people were injured - two in the van and five in the stationwagon - in Monday morning's crash near Taupo Bay. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Seven people have been injured — including two children on their way to school — in a two-car crash in the Far North.
The accident occurred about 8.40am at the intersection of Taupo Bay Rd and State Highway 10, southeast of Mangonui.
A Subaru Legacy station wagon was turning right out of Taupo Bay Rd and a Nissan Elgrand van was heading south on SH10 when the collision occurred.
Three adults and two children in this Subaru stationwagon were injured with a child and a grandmother flown to Whangārei Hospital. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The Subaru, which was on its way to nearby Oruaiti School, was carrying three adults and two children. The two people in the van were heading to Auckland.
A child aged about 10 and a grandmother in the Subaru suffered serious injuries and were flown to Whangārei Hospital by the Northland Rescue Helicopter, which landed on the sports field at Oruaiti School.
Two patients were transported to Whangārei by ambulance and three to Kaitaia Hospital.
At least one patient in the Subaru had to be cut from the wreckage by volunteers of the Mangonui Fire Brigade.
Volunteer firefighters from the Mangonui brigade hose oil off the highway after the crash. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Constable Brett Walford, of Mangonui police, said all occupants of the two vehicles had been wearing seatbelts.
The children had suspected broken arms and one had lacerations.
It appeared the crash had been caused by the turning vehicle failing to give way and he urged drivers to take care at intersections.
The Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter takes off from the sports field at Oruaiti School. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Walford thanked members of the public who had assisted at the accident scene. They included a doctor and nurse on a passing bus and family members of the injured from Taupo Bay. The relatives also provided a tractor to shift the wreckage blocking the northbound lane.
SH10 remained open with traffic allowed through from one direction at a time until the road was fully re-opened about 10.30am.
Meanwhile, police were called to a rural road 32km southwest of Whangārei after a tractor towing a disc harrow rolled.
A tractor towing a disc harrow rolled on a rural road near Waiotira. Photo / John Stone
A bus driver, with up to 25 students onboard, came to a stop on the gravel road before hitting the tractor unit which had rolled.
The tractor and bus had been heading in opposite direction on Walker Rd, Waiotira, when the tractor appeared to lose control and roll about 9.15am.
None of the students were injured and were transferred to another bus and taken to school. The male tractor driver was not injured.
A digger and a couple of local farmers with tractors helped right the rolled vehicle. Police are investigating.
Meanwhile, police are yet to release the name of the teenager who died when a car rolled off the road and into a paddock west of Whangārei.
The single-vehicle crash happened on Kokopu Rd, near the intersection with Mangakahia Rd at about 9.15pm on Friday.
Police said a 17-year-old Whangārei girl, who was a passenger in the car, died. The driver of the vehicle was airlifted to Auckland Hospital in a serious condition.
Two other passengers received serious and moderate injuries respectively and were taken to Whangārei Hospital. The Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
