Elderly woman stable after serious crash

LUCKY: A woman was freed from a car on Railway Rd yesterday, after it rolled three times and took out a telephone pole. PHOTO/VICTORIA WHITE

An elderly woman is in a stable condition after a serious crash yesterday when her car rolled three times and took out a telephone pole on a rural Hastings road.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Longlands about 11.30am, where a car was on its roof on the side of Railway Rd.

Hawke's Bay Road Policing Group sergeant Paul Ormerod said it appeared the driver had been travelling north on the 100km/h road when she came around a bend, drifted on to the left lane, hit a patch of gravel, and lost control.

It was thought the car then hit a rail line bank and rolled three times, taking out a telephone pole before coming to a rest upside down on the left side of the road.

Mr Ormerod said the driver - the only occupant - appeared to have moderate injuries.

She was removed from the car by St John Ambulance staff and transported to Hawke's Bay Hospital.

Last night, a HBDHB said the woman - aged in her 70s - remained in a stable condition.

Police said alcohol was not thought to be a factor in the crash. They believed she must have been wearing her seat belt, otherwise her injuries would have been more severe.

Mr Ormerod said it was very lucky there was not any oncoming traffic when the driver lost control.

Although fire services were called yesterday, they were not required to free the woman from the car.

Police inquiries into the crash would be ongoing. The serious crash unit would not be investigating.