Car plunges 30m down a bank

The female driver of a car which crashed about 30m down a bank is in a stable condition at Tauranga hospital.

The 18-year-old was found semi-conscious and slumped over in her car as rescuers came to her aid yesterday.

Bradley Burrell, 17, from Pyes Pa said he was heading towards Otumoetai when all of a sudden a car heading in the opposite direction appeared to lose control, veered across the road, through a fence and down the bank.

Mr Burrell, badly shaken, said he did not see what happened next but immediately pulled over told an older couple in the car in front to call 111 as he raced down the bank to help.

The driver's door was dented and jammed but he managed to pry it open. The young woman looked as though she was going to vomit so he helped her to sit up, he said.

Mr Burrell said it only took a few minutes for emergency services to arrive - although to him it seemed much longer as he desperately did all he could to help the woman.

He was relieved when a passing nurse came across the scene and took charge while they waited.

Head of Western Bay road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said the driver, believed to be 18, was taken to Tauranga Hospital with what was believed to be serious injuries.

Less than an hour later another person was trapped after a collison on State Highway 2.

At 3.20pm emergency services were called to a two car crash on the corner of Barrett Rd and State Highway 2 in Whakamarama.

One person was trapped in the vehicle, but was removed by fire services and taken to hospital.

The crash caused major delays and traffic heading out of Tauranga was bumper to bumper for nearly 5km, from the corner of Barrett Rd to Loop Rd, while police and fire cleared the scene.

A reporter at the scene said one car had a smashed up front bumper, while the other vehicle's driver side was "really smashed in".