Woman remains in critical condition following Pokeno crash

One person was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the crash at Pokeno. Photo / Facebook

A 26-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in Auckland Hospital's ICU today following a head on crash in Pokeno yesterday, an Auckland DHB spokeswoman says.

Police this afternoon told the Herald the woman had head injuries as well as fractures to her pelvis and shoulder.

A spokesperson confirmed the woman had been the driver of one of the vehicles in the smash, but was unable to say whether anyone else had been in the car with her.

An investigation into how the crash happened was ongoing, because police needed to speak to the woman before they could determine the cause, the spokesman said.

The crash closed a section of the Waikato Expressway (State Highway 1) in both directions for nearly four hours yesterday. Traffic was diverted through Pokeno until the road was reopened around 3.30pm.

The #Waikato Expressway (SH1) is now OPEN to traffic in both directions following the earlier crash near Pokeno. ^WS

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) September 3, 2016

Northern Fire Communications shift manager Steve Smith said the fire service had sent three vehicles to the crash and firefighters freed one person who had been trapped in one of the cars.

One person was flown by Westpac Rescue Helicopter to hospital with critical injuries and at least two others, including a child, were injured.

A spokesperson for St Johns told the Herald ambulances had taken one person, who was critically hurt, to Auckland Hospital and two people with serious injuries to Middlemore Hospital.

An Auckland DHB spokewoman confirmed the patient, a women, was in intensive care at Auckland Hospital with critical injuries.

Middlemore Hospital's spokeswoman, Lauren Young, said a 29-year-old women and 6-year-old boy had been admitted following the crash. Both patients were in a stable condition, she said.

A police spokesman said traffic will be disrupted for a "considerable time" while the road is cleared and the serious crash unit investigates.

Traffic is being diverted through Pokeno. NZTA spokeswoman Sarah Azam said the traffic was "flowing well" through the diversion and authorities at the scene estimated the crash would be cleared and the road reopened in about 1.5 hours.