Clareville crash leaves woman in critical condition

A woman in her early twenties has been flown to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition after the car she was driving hit a power pole near Clareville.

A woman was airlifted to hospital in critical condition after her car was sliced in two following a collision with a power pole on SH2 north of Clareville at around 9am this morning.

The car, travelling south from Masterton, left the road at a corner and struck the pole with such force it separated the motor and bumper from the rest of the car.

The driver, a woman in her early twenties, was the only person in the car.

Firecrews from Carterton and Masterton had to drag the car away from the teetering power pole and used chains tied to fire trucks to stretch the car and force it apart, allowing them to extricate the driver.

She was stabilised in a Wellington Free ambulance before being stretchered to the Life Flight Trust Westpac rescue helicopter.

Life Flight crewman Colin Larsen said she was not conscious during the transport and was transferred to Wellington ED in a critical condition.

She is now in a stable but serious condition, according to a Wellington Hospital spokesperson.

The crash forced traffic to divert down Hughes Line and East Taratahi Rd during the morning.

A Tenix crewman on site said they would have to replace the power pole.