Mix-up leaves woman trapped in car

An injured woman was trapped in her car for more than an hour after ambulance communications centre staff forgot to tell the Fire Service about the crash.

The Press today reported the 36-year-old woman waited nearly an hour for the Fire Service to arrive after her car and a 15-tonne horse transport truck collided 25km south of Kaikoura on Monday.

The woman, suffering cuts and bleeding to her spleen and lungs, then waited a further 35 minutes to be freed.

St John communications centre regional manager Eldon Macarthur said an oversight at the emergency call centre was behind the failure to tell the Fire Service about the crash.

Kaikoura Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Ian Walker told the newspaper the brigade was not notified until 20 minutes after ambulances were called.

He had complained to St John in December after similar delays involving other incidents.

The woman remains in a stable condition in Christchurch Hospital.

- NZPA