A group of stunned musicians frantically smashed a car window with a shovel to free an injured man from the smoke-filled interior.
The ute had smashed into a parked van on Lincoln Rd, Masterton, shunting it about 40m across the road and into a power pole.
Police, ambulance and fire were called late yesterday afternoon to the crash, which drew dozens of residents from their houses.
The injured man was taken to Wairarapa Hospital by ambulance. The extent of his injuries are not yet known.
Ryan Douglas had been in his Lincoln Rd flat with two members of his band, Inhale, one of whom owned the written-off silver van that had been parked at the intersection of Lincoln Rd and Coradine St.