Popular university lecturer among crash victims

Detectives are hunting for a mystery vehicle which left the scene of a horror car crash in Canterbury and claimed the life of a popular university lecturer.

Lynette Boddington, 50, died instantly after her red Daihatsu collided with a minivan carrying seven teenagers in Belfast, 10km north of Christchurch on Friday afternoon, the first of two fatal smashes within 17 hours.

Two teenagers were seriously injured and the other five treated for minor injuries at Christchurch Hospital.

Detective Sergeant Darren Folau said a charcoal or dark-coloured station wagon driven by a man was seen crossing the intersection at the time of the crash. Police needed to talk to the driver of the mystery vehicle to figure out if the give way rule had been obeyed, or whether the driver was even aware a crash had happened.

Boddington, a lecturer in business management at Lincoln University, is believed to have been travelling home when the crash occurred.

Meanwhile, an Onehunga man was killed when his Toyota people carrier crashed head-on with another vehicle on a dangerous stretch of State Highway 30 near Tokoroa about 7.40am yesterday.

Graham Paul Hyndman, 49, died at the scene, at the intersection of State Highway 30 and Ohakuri Rd in Upper Atiamuri, Waikato.

Baytrust Rescue Helicopter spokesman Neil Dodds said paramedics managed to free Hyndman from the wreckage but he died as they were transferring him into the helicopter.

The driver of the other car, a Ford Falcon, was flown to Waikato hospital with leg and shoulder injuries.

Upper Atiamuri School board chairwoman Breanna Turner said fatal accidents had become so common on the highway she had held a community first aid course at the school last weekend.

"When I hear of accidents, I always worry it might be one of the community's families.

"Lots of things happen and when you're so remote from doctors or hospitals it's really good to have people who at least can keep people stable."

Meanwhile, two people were taken by ambulance to Timaru Hospital after a car crash near Geraldine about 6am yesterday.

Police say one car was involved and one person was left in a critical condition.