Six hospitalised after two four-vehicle crashes

Photo / Kurt Bayer

Six people have been taken to hospital, two with serious injuries, after two separate four-vehicle crashes north of Christchurch today.

The first crash, at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Pa Rd north of Kaiapoi, happened about 2.32pm. Police, fire and ambulance services rushed to the scene.

Seven people were injured, five of whom were taken to Christchurch Hospital. Two have serious injuries and three have minor to moderate injuries.

The injured people have now been extricated from the smashed vehicles and taken to hospital.

The police serious crash unit and photographers were at the scene as a precaution, Senior Constable Mike Farrall told APNZ at the crash scene.

He said one or two people were trapped and took about 30 minutes to extricate.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter took at least one of the seriously injured people to Christchurch Hospital.

It then picked up a paramedic and ferried them to the second crash at Cheviot in North Canterbury.

That crash - involving a milk tanker, school bus, campervan and 4x4 vehicle - happened at 3.13pm on Hall St.

One child was taken to hospital by ambulance. A number of others were assessed at the scene but were uninjured, aside from minor bumps and grazes.

Mr Farrall said police investigating the Kaiapoi crash were now looking at what happened.

"There's been several accidents at this intersection of a similar nature in recent months," he said.

"State Highway 1 is 100km/h so anything that happens here is going to be serious."

The crash had involved four cars. The worst damaged was an early 1970s, dark-coloured Ford Falcon XY with three occupants - one of which was possibly a child, Mr Farrall said.

It also involved an SUV and a people mover, while a classic 1970s Mitsubishi "ran into the accident at the end of it".

Southbound traffic was moving steadily through one lane, while northbound traffic was being re-routed through Tuahiwi.

- Additional reporting Anna Leask