Injured woman found under dead driver

A Northland woman is in critical condition in hospital after being found under the dead driver of a crashed car.

Rescuers believe she may have spent Wednesday night badly injured in the vehicle.

A school bus driver, who was just starting his run and had no children on his bus, found the seriously injured woman yesterday about 7.30am near Tauraroa, southwest of Whangarei.

The bus driver flagged down a passerby to contact an ambulance and waited with the woman until help arrived. Police believe the car, which was off the road in a paddock, had crashed some time overnight.

The bus driver, who did not want to be named, said the driver of the car was dead. He had found the female passenger alive but incoherent.

A Northland Health spokesman said last night the woman, believed to be in her late teens or early 20s, was in a critical condition in Whangarei Hospital but it was hoped she would pull through.

The dead 49-year-old driver and injured woman, whose names will not be released until next of kin are notified, had been travelling towards Paparoa.

Their car had failed to take a right-hand bend and careered down a bank about 7m before hitting a tree and stopping.

When emergency services arrived at the scene a fire crew cut the roof off the car to enable ambulance staff to move the dead man's body off the injured woman so she could be treated.

"She was a very brave young lady who had amazing courage.

"Given the circumstances it was probably psychologically traumatic," said Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter advanced paramedic Donna Austin, who nursed the woman on the flight to hospital.

The dead driver might have been lying on top of the injured woman for several hours, Ms Austin said.

"She had significant injuries to her head, chest and leg."

Whangarei police serious crash unit Senior Constable Warren Bunn said "excessive speed" appeared to have been a factor in the crash.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)