School bus and vehicle collide near Bulls

A woman is in a serious condition after a school bus - carrying 40 pupils - and a car collided on State Highway 1 near Bulls this morning.

Wellington police inspector Peter Stokes said while all the passengers on the bus escaped injury a woman who had been trapped in the car had to be flown by rescue helicopter to Palmerston North hospital.

Both vehicles had to be towed from the crash site and another bus was sent to pick the students and bus driver up and take them to school, he said.

The school children from Bulls were students of Rangitikei College in Marton and were on their normal school run, deputy principal Kelvin Tong said.

About 38 to 40 students were normally on the bus service from Bulls and the students ranged in age from 13 to 18 years.

Police were investigating the cause of the crash.

- NZPA