Waipu fire chief describes arriving at crash which left 7 people injured in Northland

The sight of trapped drivers and visibly shaken children injured in a serious crash in Waipū was a difficult scene, a Northland fire chief says.

Waipū fire chief Alan Vaile was one of the first responders called to a head-on crash between a Nissan and Subaru vehicle on Waipū Cove Rd on Wednesday, in which seven people - including three children - were hurt.

Two boys and a girl were among the patients transported to different hospitals in Auckland and Northland.

A police spokesperson said one child remained in a critical condition while others were in a serious but stable condition.

“It was a difficult scene because of the number of seriously injured people involved in the crash, some of whom were just kids,” Vaile said.

When firefighters arrived, Vaile said, they noticed that the impact of the crash had caused the Nissan to leave the road.

“Both the cars were severely damaged and there was broken glass everywhere. And the drivers of both the vehicles were trapped.”

Vaile said a dozen firefighters - some from the Ruakākā Volunteer Fire Brigade - used rescue cutting gear to free the drivers of both vehicles, one of whom was a man in his 30s and the other a woman.

“It’s been a while since we attended a serious incident of this nature.”

Two Northland Rescue Helicopters and two Auckland Westpac rescue choppers were dispatched to the scene alongside five ambulances.

Five ambulances and two rapid response vehicles were dispatched alongside police and the Waipū Volunteer Fire Brigade. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesperson Lincoln Davies said it was rare for multiple helicopters from both Northland and Auckland to be tasked together to the same incident.

Aside from the odd motor vehicle crash, the only other time multiple helicopters were requested was during the White Island Eruption rescue in 2019, he said.

Westpac rescue choppers transported one boy in a serious condition to Auckland’s Starship Hospital and a male in his 30s with critical injuries to Auckland City Hospital.

Northland Rescue Helicopters transferred one girl in critical condition to Starship and another boy in a serious condition to Whangārei Hospital.

“This incident is a pretty good example of Auckland and Northland rescue teams working well together,” Davies said.

Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters attending a head-on crash on Waipū Cove Rd in Waipu. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

One of the vehicles involved in the crash being towed away. Photo/ Michael Cunningham

Firefighter Vaile said the recent serious crash is another reminder for motorists to drive carefully.

“Especially when traffic is being diverted up these roads. And since a lot of motorists are not used to driving on narrower country-type roads,” he said.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Northern Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.