One person critically injured in State Highway 30, Tikitere crash

Police at a diversion on State Highway 30 this morning. Photo / Andrew Warner

State Highway 30 has reopened following a two-car crash which critically injured a person near Rotorua .

A police spokeswoman said reports of a two-car crash came in about 9.30am Tuesday.

The critically injured person was flown to Waikato Hospital, a St John spokeswoman said.

A Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman said the person remained in a critical condition in the intensive care unit Tuesday afternoon.

Another person suffered minor injuries and was not taken to hospital.

Earlier New Zealand Transport Agency said due to the serious crash east of Curtis Rd, State Highway 30 was closed in the Tikitere area between Rotorua and Kawerau.

SH30 TIKITERE - ROAD OPEN - FINAL UPDATE 12:40PM State Highway 30 has FULLY REOPENED in Tikitere following a serious...

Posted by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP on Monday, 22 June 2020

Diversions were in place at the State Highway 30 and SH33 intersection as well as the SH30/SH34 intersection with delays expected.

The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.

A St John spokeswoman said two ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene.

A staff member at Moose Lodge Estate on State Highway 30 said it appeared the accident happened at a hairpin corner near the lodge. He said it was in a similar location to the serious crash that killed nurse Sheila Cheng.

Cheng, 50, was killed after the vehicle she was a passenger in and another vehicle collided head-on in December.

The owner of the lodge said she saw a helicopter fly over her property about 20 minutes ago. She said she had seen a number of serious crashes on the highway around the Tikitere hill.

"We have opened our gates in the past to allow emergency services to bring casualties in."