Police name man killed in Southland crash

Police have named a 68-year-old man who was killed when his car burst into flames after a head-on smash in Southland yesterday.

Passersby battled in vain to to release Keith Pirie, of Invercargill, who died at the scene after his BMW and a Peugeot collided on State Highway 1 near Edendale, 39km northeast of Invercargill, yesterday morning.

Police have yet to determine the cause of the crash but Senior Sergeant Steve Gregory told The Southland Times that road conditions were treacherous at the time with heavy hail falling.

He said Mr Pirie's northbound car appeared to cross the centre line into the path of the other car, which was travelling south towards Invercargill.

The driver of the Peugeot, a 36-year-old Dunedin man, was taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital with moderate injuries, Mr Gregory said.

Passing motorists, including one man with a crowbar, tried to free Mr Pirie from his BMW, but were beaten back by smoke and then flames.

The crash closed SH1 for five hours.

- NZPA