Four ambulances were needed to ferry the injured to hospital. Photo / Kurt Bayer
Seven people have been injured in a car crash in central Christchurch at lunchtime today.
Two cars collided at the intersection of the Rolleston Ave and Hereford St at 12.40pm.
They have then careered into a parked car.
Four ambulances were needed to ferry the injured to Christchurch Hospital just 200m away.
A spokeswoman for Canterbury DHB said five people were taken to Christchurch Hospital.
They are being assessed in the emergency department, but all are stable, she said.
A police officer at the scene said their injuries were minor.
The driver of a blue Ford Falcon stationwagon accused the driver of a Daihatsu Sirion hatchback of causing the smash.
"She pulled out in front of us," he said at the scene as three tow-trucks removed the damaged cars in front of a large watching crowd.
"She wasn't looking. She should've used her driving skills a bit better and looked where she was going."
He said he wasn't injured.
The area, beside the city's Botanic Gardens, is busy today with tourists, joggers, and children on school holidays.
Police are directing traffic past the scene and carrying out investigations.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.