Woman badly hurt as car lands upside down

A woman thrown from her car was taken to hospital in a serious condition. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A woman thrown from her car in Whangarei was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the crash on Ngunguru Rd about 2pm yesterday to where locals refer to as Murphy's Corner.

It appeared only one car was involved in the crash and it had rolled before coming to rest on the roof.

The vehicle was headed towards Whangarei and had just come round a left-hand bend.

The single female occupant was in a serious condition and was stabilised by St John medics in an ambulance before being taken to Whangarei Hospital.

The police serious crash unit was called to the scene. The road was wet after a recent shower had passed through. People are urged to slow down on Northland's roads today and tomorrow with more rain expected. The rainfall is expected to be heavy tomorrow.

Meanwhile drivers involved in two separate crashes involving wandering stock escaped injury but a cow and a horse were both shot.

The two incidents in just over an hour in darkness on Monday night have drawn a warning from police to farmers and motorists in rural Northland.

Highway patrol Sergeant Wally Broughton said collisions involving stock could be fatal and motorists should immediately report wandering stock to *555.

"Report wandering stock as soon as you can. It could save someone's life."

He said winter months meant reduced hours of daylight and many rural roads in Northland were not kitted out with street lighting.

"The weather is not the best and also limits visibility. This is a reminder for people driving on rural roads to be aware of loose stock and for stock owners to check their fencing especially where they boarder a road," Mr Broughton said.

Emergency services were first called to Maungamuka Rd, near Kohukohu, about 6.30pm to a collision between a car and a cow.

"That's a 100km/h stretch of road with no lighting," Mr Broughton said.

The driver was not injured and the cow was euthanised.

Then at 7.40pm near Pakaraka the driver of a Rav4 struck a horse that was crossing the road.

"The driver had no chance, the horse came right across in front of him."

The horse had to be shot at the scene because of its serious injuries.

Under the Crimes Act 1961 if livestock wanders on to public roads, owners can be criminally liable if they have not taken adequate steps to secure the animals.

Potential criminal charges include criminal nuisance, maximum penalty one year's imprisonment, breach of duty of a person in charge of dangerous things, maximum penalty is life imprisonment or endangering safety, maximum penalty three months' imprisonment or a $2000 fine.