Teen girl injured in school bus and truck crash near Palmerston

A 16-year-old girl has suffered serious injuries after a school minibus and truck collided south of Palmerston this afternoon.

Police said in a statement a bus and a truck collided outside the marae on Goodwood Rd near State Highway 1.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 3.30pm and a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesman said a helicopter had arrived at the scene of the crash.

Traffic continued to flow past the scene.

A St John spokesman said a 16-year-old girl had suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash.

She would be taken to Dunedin Hospital by helicopter.

The Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said no-one was trapped in the bus.

A witness told the Otago Daily Times the Ritchies school bus crashed near Flagswamp School.

The man, who drove past about 3.30pm, said it appeared the back right corner of the minibus had been hit by another vehicle.

There was glass all over the road and some of the windows of the bus, which was still upright, had been smashed.

Pupils were standing and sitting on the bank near the bus.