Woman dead, toddler injured in crash

A woman is dead and a toddler badly injured after a high-speed crash in Hamilton yesterday.

The two were passengers in a car which smashed into a caryard, hitting six cars, about 2.20pm.

Police named the dead woman as Maxine Petula Warren, 37, the Waikato Times reported.

Barry Heerdegen Cars employee Arun Singh said he was outside the office when he saw the car hurtling towards him.

"It hit the fence and went flying up and over three cars and landed," Mr Singh said.

"There was a baby, I think a girl, in a back car seat. The driver seemed a bit dazed, but we managed to pull him out."

Wendell Walker pulled the toddler out of the wreck.

"She was upside down and there was petrol leaking everywhere," he told the newspaper.

"People were telling me to get back in case the car caught fire, but I couldn't leave her. So I dragged her out."

The toddler's distraught mother arrived at the scene before going to hospital with her daughter.

Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Scoble said the car appeared to have been speeding and had run a red light.

- NZPA