Two police officers have been praised for pulling two people from a burning car near Blenheim last night.
The Marlborough officers were following a fleeing car, which reached speeds of 100km/h in a 50km/h zone, when the vehicle crashed into a truck about 11pm
The vehicle's engine caught alight on impact and the officers rushed to help the occupants at the scene on SH1 just north of Blenheim, said Superintendent Richard Chambers, Tasman district's police commander.
"One of the occupants was unconscious when the officers pulled him from the vehicle," said Mr Chambers.
"The officers put their own safety at risk to save the lives of the vehicle occupants," he added.