'Good Samaritans' save life of crash victim, 2

Police have hailed the efforts of "good Samaritans" who saved the life of a two-year-old boy injured in a head-on crash in the Waikato on Sunday.

Constable Lloyd Smith was the first officer to arrive at the scene of the crash near the intersection of State Highway Two and Coalfields Rd at Maramarua about 10.55am.

"There were several people badly hurt when I arrived and then a man drew my attention to a two-year-old child who was in the rear of one of the cars and wasn't breathing," Mr Smith said.

"Then another man, he was from Taupo, grabbed a knife, cut the child out and then commenced rescue breathing while I began doing chest compressions and checking for a pulse. With so much needing to be done in relation to the rest of the scene it was a bit of a tricky situation but then an off-duty Auckland A&E nurse arrived and took over from me."

Mr Smith said other people also assisted at the scene, including an off-duty policeman and his wife who took care of other patients.

"These actions have given the boy a fighting chance, the latest update we have is he is still alive but in a critical condition. I have spoken to some of the Good Samaritans to thank them for their efforts and we'll be looking at how we can best show our appreciation," he said.

The crash was the first of two serious crashes in the area and one of 30 crashes in the Waikato as heavy rain lashed the region last weekend.

Two people died on Waikato roads yesterday, a woman on SH23 near Raglan and an American tourist on SH25 near Whitianga. Their names have not yet been released.

- NZHERALD STAFF