"A couple of vehicles had to take evasive action," Mr Weston said.
The driver of the damaged car was placed in the back of a waiting ambulance while Whangarei firefighters cut the doors off to free the trapped passenger.
St John officers worked on the patient while the firefighters continued their work.
Two people were taken to Whangarei Hospital - one with minor injuries and the other with moderate injuries.
A tow truck was used to remove the damaged car.
Whangarei District Council spokesman Brendon Tong said an analysis had been run at the intersection and there was no sign that the light phases were conflicting at all.
It wasn't the only motor vehicle crash emergency services were called to yesterday.
An overturned rubbish truck shut Ngunguru Rd for three hours.
Ngunguru Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief Chris Gibbs said a rubbish truck driver, who alleged he was cut off by another vehicle, went into a ditch and over-corrected, which caused the truck to tip over at 12.42pm.
Mr Gibbs said the truck overturned at the top of the passing lane near the Hugh Crawford Reserve and blocked the road until a tow truck arrived to right the vehicle and move it off the road.
Mr Gibbs said the driver was uninjured.
"He removed himself by climbing through the front window," he said.
None of the rubbish from the truck had spilled on to the road, but hydraulic oil leaked from the truck.
"The leaked oil was the worse problem. We temporarily bunded it to stop it from spreading and contaminating the water until Fulton Hogan came to clean it up," he said.
Diversions were put in place through Ngunguru's Kaiatea Rd until the road was reopened at 3.45pm.
Meanwhile, a ute veered off the road and rolled on SH12 in Kaihu.
The sole occupant was heading north when the crash happened.
Dargaville deputy fire chief Michael Ross said a mechanical failure appeared to have caused the crash.
The driver escaped unhurt.
