'Heroic' driver saves tot from burning car

Police at the scene of the crash. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A passing truck driver's "heroics" are being credited with saving the life of a little girl after a crash in which her mother and sister died.

Police say the man, whose actions they labelled heroic, pulled the girl from the burning car south of Dunedin.

Phillipa Jane Manning, 43, and her daughter, Rebecca Katherine Coulter, 6, both of Waihola, died at the scene.

The Mazda station wagon in which they were travelling and a northbound Mainfreight truck and trailer unit collided, 4km south of Milton on State Highway 1 at 9.35pm on Tuesday night.

Abigail Coulter, who turned 3 yesterday, was in a stable condition in Dunedin Hospital and "progressing favourably", a spokeswoman said.

The truck driver, travelling north, saw a large fireball in the distance. Arriving at the scene, he stopped to pull the girl from the burning vehicle.

"It is something anyone would do," the experienced Invercargill driver told the Otago Daily Times through a Northern Southland Transport company representative.

The reluctant hero declined to be named, and late yesterday was yet to speak to police about the accident, after completing a night shift.

Senior Sergeant Richard Whitmore, of Balclutha, said the actions of the passing truck driver were "heroic".

"His actions saved [Abigail's] life."

The commercial vehicle investigation unit and a serious crash investigator, both of Dunedin, and Balclutha police were investigating the crash.

Milton chief fire officer Alan Tapp said the crash scene was "bloody carnage", one of the worst he had seen in 40 years as a volunteer firefighter.

Firefighters doused flames from the front of the car, later helping to extract the two bodies.

Abigail was semi-conscious during the ordeal, and was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital.

Mainfreight group managing director Don Braid said the transport company and the experienced Invercargill-based driver were "devastated by the accident". The company would do whatever it could to assist the family, if that was wanted.

The communities of Waihola and Balclutha were yesterday coming to grips with the news two local residents had died in a road crash.

At Rebecca's school, Waihola District School, staff spoke to all children together yesterday morning.

A school notice sent home to parents said Rebecca's father had told the school of the accident that morning.

"He said Rebecca had been so excited about being in her third year at our school and earning the privilege of her very own desk."

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES