One trapped after truck and ute collide, sending ute into path of third vehicle

Police are at the scene of a crash where a truck and ute collided before the ute flipped over a medium strip garden and into the path of an oncoming car. Photo / File

A person is trapped after a spectacular crash in which a truck collided with a ute, flipping it into oncoming traffic.

The crash involving three vehicles happened at 11.40am on Wairere Drive in Pukete, Hamilton, closing one of the city's bridges.

Hamilton Police Senior Sergeant Gill Meadows said the large truck and a ute were both westbound when the collision happened on a dual-lane part of the road.

The ute flipped over a garden medium strip on the 80km/h road and into the path of an oncoming car in the eastbound lanes.

Meadows said so far only minor injuries had been reported but she expected the driver of the ute to be transferred to hospital once they were rescued from the vehicle.

Emergency services were at the scene and all lanes of Wairere Drive as well as the Pukete Bridge were closed with diversions in place.

Motorists in the Pukete and Flagstaff communities were reporting delays of up to an hour.

Meanwhile police are at the scene of a serious crash on State Highway 3, Kai Iwi, near Whanganui.

Emergency services were alerted to the two vehicle crash at around 12.41pm.

Initial indications are that one person is seriously injured. The road will be closed.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area and expect delays.