SH2 crash victim remains critical in hospital

A man was flown to Waikato Hospital after a serious crash on SH2 near Katikati. Photo/Andrew Warner

The 75-year-old man seriously hurt in a crash on State Highway 2 near Katikati yesterday remains in a critical condition at Waikato Hospital today.

The man was flown to hospital after the four-car smash near Wharawhara Rd that forced the closure of the highway about 3pm.

A hospital spokeswoman said the man was still in a criticial condition in the intensive care unit today.

Two other seriously hurt people were driven to Tauranga Hospital by ambulance.

All three injured people were from the same car. Two of the people in the car were initially trapped and were freed by firefighters.

Senior Constable Paul Gunner said a vehicle heading towards Katikati tried to make a u-turn across the highway and collided with a car which was heading in the same direction.

The first car spun across the main road, smashed through a Seeka fence and crashed into two parked cars in the Seeka cool store car park.