One dead, four injured in SH2 crash

The scene of a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 2 near Masterton on Sunday. Photo / Gerald Ford

A man is dead and four people, including a mother and her baby, have suffered injuries in a car crash in Northern Wairarapa today.

The mother and baby were flown to hospital by helicopter.The death is the fifth on New Zealand's roads this holiday weekend.

Emergency services were alerted to the two-vehicle smash, which appeared to be a head-on, on State Highway 2 near Mt Bruce, between Masterton and Eketahuna, just before noon.

A police spokesman said there were five people in the two vehicles.

The driver of one of the vehicles suffered critical injuries and was trapped inside for a time.Once he was freed emergency service workers did CPR but he died at the scene.

The four other people suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious.Police, firefighters and paramedics are at the crash site, and two rescue helicopters were also called in.

The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter flew two injured patients to Palmerston North Hospital - a seriously injured woman in her 30s and her baby.

The other two injured were taken to hospital either by the Wellington Rescue Helicopter or ambulance.

Diversions are in place around the crash through Mauriceville on Opaki-Kaiparoro Rd.

Earlier diversions were through a paddock, opened up by a "nice local", according to police.

The police serious crash unit is now investigating and police are warning motorists to expect delays.