Three patients airlifted to Waikato Hospital following Waiouru crash

A crash on SH1 in Waiouru resulted in three patients being airlifted by two helicopters to Waikato Hospital.

Three people, two in a serious condition, were airlifted to Waikato Hospital following a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 at Waiouru.

A police spokesman said they responded to a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of SH1 and Paradise Valley Rd about 1.15am on Sunday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman Alison Munn said a vehicle had rolled off the road.

“Nobody was trapped.”

Fire crews from Waiouru, Tūrangi and Ohakune responded and set up a helicopter landing zone.

A Hato Hone St John spokesman said they were notified of the incident at 1.05am.

“Two ambulances, one rapid response unit, two helicopters and one operations manager responded.”

Two patients in serious condition and another in moderate condition were airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

Munn said fire services assisted with patient care until the ambulance arrived. They left the scene at 2.25pm.

The police spokesman said three people were reported to have received serious injuries and SH1 was temporarily closed, reopening about 3.40am.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.