One dead, two injured in Queenstown crash involving motorbike

One person is dead and two are injured after a head-on crash involving two cars and a motorcycle on the main road into Queenstown this afternoon.

Police were called to the crash involving a motorcycle and two cars on Frankton Rd at 3.37pm. It occurred about 100m from the intersection of Hensman Rd and State Highway 6A, near The Rees Hotel.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson confirmed to an Otago Daily Times reporter at the scene that the person killed was a woman but had no details about her age.

Wilkinson said one other person - the motorcyclist - was seriously injured and St John said another had moderate injuries.

He said an early scene examination indicated one car had crossed the centreline and struck the other vehicle and the motorcyclist.

The two cars were significantly damaged and the motorcycle was lying on its side about 50m away.

St John spokesman Gerard Campbell said two people were being transported to Lakes District Hospital.

The road was closed for a time, but had reopened to one lane by about 4.45pm after police initially warned motorists to avoid the area.

On Saturday the same stretch of road was closed for four and a-half hours after a three-car collision at the intersection of State Highway 6A and Middleton Rd.

Queenstown resident Lochana Kulasiri was trapped in his vehicle by the crash and was flown to Dunedin Hospital in critical condition where he underwent surgery.

Wilkinson said it was unusual to have two serious crashes on the same stretch of road in such a short space of time.

Police were called at 3.37pm to the crash on Frankton Rd in Queenstown. Photo / James Allan

The crash occurred at the intersection of Hensman Rd and State Highway 6A, near The Rees Hotel. Photo / James Allan

Drivers were asked to avoid the area if possible as the road was likely to be down to one lane. Photo / James Allan

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a motorcyclist was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after crashing north of Palmerston this afternoon.

A St John spokesman said they were contacted at 2.09pm, after a report a motorcycle had left Horse Range Rd and gone down a bank near Trotters Gorge.

The man was seriously injured.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said crews from Palmerston and Waikouaiti had earlier been sent to the scene to prepare a landing site for the helicopter.

They were ''comforting the patient and providing general care'' before the helicopter crew arrived, he said.