One dead, one critical after being crushed by truck in Closeburn, Queenstown

One person is dead and another is being flown to hospital after they were crushed by a truck in the Queenstown area.

Police were notified just before 4pm to reports of the incident near Closeburn.

A crane assisted in moving the vehicle and a helicopter has transported the trapped person from the remote location to Dunedin Hospital in a critical condition.

Queenstown photographer James Allan was at the scene. He said two people had been crushed by a sewage truck. He said one was trapped for two-and-a-half hours.

"The truck was going in there to do something and it has rolled back into a structure of some sort. One person is killed and one person was trapped at the waist."

He said the person who was trapped has now been released and taken by helicopter to hospital.

Allan believed the two men were workers and the owner of the company was at the scene looking "pretty cut up" about what had happened.

The Herald believes the truck is owned by waste management company SJ Allen. Owner Simon Spark said he was not prepared to comment at this stage.

"We're still in shock and grief."

Allan said Kiwi businessman Graeme Hart had a multi-million dollar property about 300m from the accident and it was quite an affluent street.

There is a scene guard in place and WorkSafe will be notified.