Father and daughter recovering after crash near Waipukurau

A father and daughter were hurt in this crash in CHB. Photo Paul Taylor

The police Serious Crash Unit is to investigate the cause of a crash which injured two, a father and a daughter, near Waipukurau on Saturday afternoon.

Both the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter and the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter were called after the car was understood to have crashed into a tree on Hatuma Rd, between Waiou Rd and JG Wilson Dr, at 1.55pm.

Waipukurau Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Te Aroha Cook said two appliances from Waipukurau attended, by which time the girl was being attended to by St John Ambulance staff, and spoken to by police.

"We then cut the vehicle so the man could be taken out - it took about 30 minutes start to finish."

She said the fire crew worked with St John staff to ensure the man was stabilised as much as possible before he was put onto the helicopter for transport to hospital.

They were the only people in the vehicle.

A Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter spokesman said the teenage girl had minor injuries and was flown by the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter to Hawke's Bay Hospital.

"A male patient, in his 50s, was freed from the vehicle, then flown to Hawke's Bay Hospital in the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter."

As of yesterday afternoon the female teenager had been discharged, according to a Hawke's Bay District Health Board spokesperson.

The man had multiple injuries of a serious nature and was in a stable condition in hospital.

A resident of Hatuma Rd who lived not far from the accident scene was not at home yesterday, but said she was not surprised to hear there had been an accident on that road.

"It was bound to happen, people are always zooming along there," she said, although police had not said whether speed was a factor with this crash.

JG Wilson Dr resident Kim Grant said she was out riding her horse and heard a noise that made her think something was up, and then heard a horn blaring.

"We went straight down, I was second on the scene and then luckily a nurse turned up as well - I stayed with the man the whole time until the helicopters arrived."

She said she had spoken to the man's wife since the accident who said he had pelvis and leg injuries.

He was being treated and would recover in time, and the girl, who was his daughter, was also recovering and had been cleared of spinal injuries, which was an initial concern.

She said the accident happened on a straight road, and it was not a known danger spot to residents.

Police said it may take some time to work through what caused the crash.