Man thrown in Wairarapa road crash

MERCY DASH: Emergency workers ready a critically injured man for a rescue flight to Wellington Hospital after he was thrown from a vehicle that rolled near Ngawi early Monday evening. It is believed the 22-year-old man was the only one of three occupants who was not wearing a seatbelt. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A young hunter was airlifted to Wellington Hospital with serious head injuries after being thrown from a ute that rolled on a coastal South Wairarapa road.

Masterton traffic policing Sergeant Chris Megaw said the Raumati man, 22, had been travelling with two other young men from the Kapiti area when the 19-year-old driver lost control of his late model Toyota Hilux vehicle while heading towards Ngawi about 6.30pm on Monday.

Mr Megaw said the driver was navigating a straight stretch of tarsealed road a couple of kilometres west of the fishing settlement and had veered his ute left and right across the road before over-correcting and rolling the vehicle.

The trio had been on a hunting trip in the area and it was believed the critically injured man was the only occupant who was unrestrained, Mr Megaw said.

"He wasn't thrown far from the vehicle but with two people still in the ute and him ejected, it would tend to suggest he was the only one not wearing a seatbelt."

Mr Megaw said Serious Crash Unit officers from Wellington had completed a preliminary examination of the crash scene and an investigation was ongoing.

Ngawi Rural Fire Party volunteers were the first emergency team to the site and a doctor on holiday at the settlement had given first response care to the injured passengers, he said.

Mike Lace, Martinborough firefighter and officer-in-charge, said volunteer fire crews from the South Wairarapa town and Greytown were also scrambled to the scene and all three passengers were out of the rolled vehicle by the time the rescue tender from Martinborough arrived.

"A cut out was not required and firefighters controlled traffic, ensured the scene was safe and assisted police to protect the site for their investigation."

Life Flight Trust crewman Dave Greenberg said the Westpac Rescue helicopter with a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic on board had arrived at the crash scene within 25 minutes of launching in the capital.

"On our arrival we found a local doctor and the fire brigade attending to three young guys who had been in the ute that rolled. The young guy who said he was the driver was a bit shocked by it all but was fine and there wasn't anything too wrong with the other guy, who had his chest bandaged," Mr Greenberg said.

"The doctor played a huge part with the local fire crew in keeping the seriously injured guy alive until we arrived."

Mr Greenberg said the 22-year-old had been airlifted to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition.

The other two occupants were taken to Wairarapa Hospital for assessment and treatment and were discharged early yesterday morning.

The young man was yesterday morning listed in a critical condition in the intensive care unit but was showing signs of improvement.