Pair pulled from car before explosion

The two people in this car would have died in flames had it not been for passersby, the police say.

A Hawkes Bay farmer raced against time to pull two Australians from a crashed car near Dannevirke early yesterday, minutes before the vehicle exploded into a fireball.

Police said the couple would have burned to death were it not for Colin Russell.

The car crashed on State Highway 2 near the Oringi freezing works about 8am after the male driver lost control, swerving across the path of the man who was about to become his rescuer.

Mr Russell was driving in the opposite direction with his daughter, Lisa.

The Australians' car careered through a fence, across a paddock and into a tree.

A fire broke out beneath the bonnet, and Mr Russell worked quickly to pull the unconscious female passenger from the vehicle as his daughter rang emergency services.

He then worked on freeing the driver, who was coherent but had broken bones.

"I don't want to make a big deal about it," Mr Russell said. "I did it to save the people's lives.

"It was just common sense. We did nothing we wouldn't expect someone else to do for us in the same situation."

The car was well ablaze by the time emergency services were alerted.

"We could see a big plume of black smoke up in the sky as we left Dannevirke," said Constable Wayne Churchouse.

"If it wasn't for those first people on the scene, the vehicle would have burst into flames and the couple in it would have died."

Police said Dannevirke bank worker David Curtis had also played a role in the rescue, but the Herald was unable to contact him yesterday.

The 31-year-old woman passenger suffered head injuries. The Square Trust rescue helicopter flew her to Palmerston North Hospital, where she remained critically ill last night.

The driver was taken to the same hospital by ambulance, with moderate injuries, including a fractured leg.

Mr Churchouse said it was understood the couple were originally from New Zealand but now lived in Australia.