Woman seriously injured after car and train collide

File photo / NZPA

A woman suffered life-threatening injuries when her vehicle and a coal train collided near Inangahua east of Westport about 1.30pm today.

St John territorial manager Robbie Blankenstein said the 57-year-old was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

When she left the scene she was classified as status one having suffered ``severely life threatening injuries'' to her head.

Because of her condition St John elected to transfer her directly to Christchurch Hospital.

A KiwiRail spokeswoman said the crash involved a fully laden coal train on its way to Lyttelton.

It weighed over 2000 tonnes and was about 470m long, she said.

The crossing was protected by stop signs but did not have barriers or flashing lights.

By a stroke of luck two intensive care paramedics were in the rural area in the Buller Gorge.

"So she received some quite advanced care in this paddock before the helicopter arrived.''

One accompanied her in the helicopter to Christchurch.

Mr Blankenstein said one intensive care paramedic had been in nearby Reefton doing some training. The other, the district operations manager, was in the area because the St John chief executive was visiting.

An emergency medical technician crew and two rural nurse specialists from Reefton also attended.

"So we had a vast number of responders. So this lady got absolutely the best care that we can possibly provide in a national context and in a very short space of time as well.''

St John wouldn't have been able to administer some of the skills it did today without all those staff present.

It was not yet known whether the woman was a local.