One dead, roads closed in a series of crashes

Three adults and two children in this Subaru stationwagon were injured with one child and a grandmother being flown to Whangarei Hospital. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A series of crashes this morning has seen one person killed, others injured and roads in Auckland, Christchurch, Cambridge and the Far North closed.

One person died in a crash on State Highway 1 in Christchurch.

Emergency services were called to the incident, which involved a car and a truck at the corner of Main South Rd and Foremans Rd, Islington, just after 10am.

Police said it was a serious crash and Main South Rd would be closed in both directions for at least three hours.

A detour had been set up on Pound Rd and at the intersection with Halswell Junction Rd.

A second crash has been reported on Pound Rd at the intersection with Savills Rd.

The Serious Crash Unit were investigating.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area.

Meanwhile, in the North Island, State Highway 1 south of Cambridge has also been closed by a crash.

Police said the incident also involved a car and a truck and took place about 11am.

Diversions were being put in place.

In Auckland, Great South Rd in Penrose was closed for a time after a truck and a car collided soon after 10am.

A local businessman said it was quite a bad crash, the force of which had pushed the front wheel out from the car.

"The car is a write off, definitely."

Earlier, five people were injured in a two-car crash in the Far North.

Emergency services were called to the crash at the intersection of State Highway 10 and Old Taupo Rd in Mangonui about 8.40am.

The road was closed and diversions were in place.