Two taken to hospital after crash in rural Canterbury

Two people were hurt in a crash at the intersection of Cowans Rd and Southbridge Leeston Rd in Selwyn this evening. Photo/Google Maps

Two men have been taken to hospital after their vehicles collided at a rural Canterbury intersection this evening.

One man was trapped in his vehicle following the crash, which happened just before 6.15pm at the intersection of Southbridge Leeston Rd and Cowans Rd in Selwyn.

Two ambulances and a rapid response vehicle are at the scene, a St John spokesman said. He understood both patients had been the drivers of the vehicles.

They had "timed their run perfectly" to smash into each other at the intersection but had escaped serious harm. One man suffered minor injuries and one had moderate injuries.

Both men have been taken to Christchurch Hospital by ambulance.

Southern fire communications shift manager Riwai Grace said the fire service was called at 6.15pm.

Firefighters extricated one man from his car before handing him over to the ambulance service, Grace said.

Police were called at 6.20pm and took 20 minutes to arrive, a police spokeswoman said.