Crash kills seven-year-old girl, two injured

A seven-year-old girl has been killed in a car crash tonight that also left two other young people critically injured.

A nine-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were fighting for their lives in Middlemore Hospital. A fourth person involved in the crash, a man aged 20, received serious injuries.

The accident happened at about 6pm when a white car, containing the four victims, crashed into a tree on North Rd in Clevedon.

A woman who lives near the crash said the car was heading towards Papakura when she heard a "horrendous" noise.

"There was no skidding or anything, it was just the sound of metal and wood."

The woman said the two children were in the back of the car, which looked like an older style four-door Toyota. The young men were in the front. It is not known if seatbelts were being worn.

Police, firefighters, St John Ambulance and the Westpac Helicopter all arrived at the scene.

The road was completely blocked while emergency service workers tried to help the injured.

Firefighters cut at least three of the people from the wreckage.

Both air and road ambulances were used to transport the injured, all of whom were taken to Middlemore Hospital.

The woman said the place where the accident happened had a very gentle bend in the rural road but was not windy.