Woman survives 100m car plunge down bank

The woman was able to communicate to rescuers on her phone to help them locate her. Photo / Thinkstock

Injured and dazed after crashing 100m down a bank, a Northland woman battled faltering cell phone reception and beeped her car horn to alert rescuers - including her frantic husband - to her location.

The 59-year-old Kerikeri business owner had taken a wrong turn and was traveling an unfamiliar route when the crash happened near Moerewa about 10.30am.

If it was not for a police officer who happened to stop his car near the crash site the outcome could have been very different, said Kerikeri Acting Sergeant Mark Roberts.

"The circumstances made it dramatic," he said. "We are not sure how but she has ended up going off a 100m bank, rolling several times and coming to a stop about 50m from the bottom [of a gorge]."

Mr Roberts said the woman missed a turn off and ended up travelling south on State Highway 1 near Hautapu Rd when she crashed, and was not sure where she was.

"She phoned her husband to say she was injured, but didn't know where she was, so he called us and it was every man and his dog jumping in their cars and running around looking for her."

There were six police cars carrying nine police officers, two fire appliances with up to 14 people aboard, one ambulance and a paramedics vehicle - plus the woman's husband - scanning the road sides.

The woman had a minor head injury which meant she was confused about her surroundings, said Mr Roberts.

"If she didn't have her phone on her it could have been a lot worse, but all she was saying was she could hear trucks and cars going past but she couldn't give her location.

"She was instructed to intermittently beep her horn and so were we, but one policeman just happened to stop and have a look and there she was."

He scrambled down the bank and stayed with the woman until medics and fire crews arrived to treat her and winch her out in a stretcher about 11.40am.

"If he hadn't stopped there, we are not sure we would have seen her. It's just amazing that she didn't have more serious injuries."

She was taken to Bay of Islands Hospital for treatment for the head injury, and was understood to be in a stable condition last night.