Girl critical after crash

File photo / NZ Herald

A 10-year-old girl is critically injured with head injuries following a crash near Rotorua's Tikitapu (Blue Lake) this morning.

She is expected to be flown to Starship Hospital this afternoon. Her mother is awaiting x-rays at Rotorua Hospital.

The girl was one of five people in a Toyota Rav4 that rolled on Tarawera Rd after it hit a tree around 11.15am. The family of five - including twins aged 10 and an older brother - are from Singapore and were due to fly home on Saturday at the end of a two-week holiday. No other vehicles were involved.

Rotorua police Sergeant Andrew Lynch, from the road policing unit, said the crash appeared to have been caused by wintry conditions.

"While there wasn't a frost last night it is cold here,'' Mr Lynch said.

"We're encouraging all motorists to drive to the conditions. Slow down, especially on frosty and foggy mornings. These tourists have come down to look around our tourist locations and they've misjudged a corner and hit a tree.''

Speed was not believed to be a factor, rather the road conditions.

The Lake Okareka Rural Fire Service were first on the scene, their members included a medic and doctor who helped assess the passengers before St John Ambulance arrived. Two crews from the Rotorua Fire Brigade were also called out and used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the passenger side doors.

Rotorua Senior Station Officer Jim Prescott said the passenger side of the car was "munted''.

"We had to take both doors off.''

Meanwhile, two young children have also been seriously injured after a two-car crash on State Highway One near Timaru.

Four people were taken to hospital after the smash near Pareora, 10km south of Timaru, around 12.25pm.

The Serious Crash unit has been called to the scene and diversions are likely to be in place until 5pm.

- additional reporting APNZ