Student in boot and 5 others hurt in Dunedin crash

Emergency services workers survey the wreckage of a Nissan sedan involved in a serious crash in Signal Hill Rd on Saturday. Photo / Gerard O'Brien

Six Dunedin students are lucky to be alive after their car was torn apart in a horrific crash.

A man who was travelling in the car's boot was taken to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries.

Emergency services were called to the crash in Signal Hill Rd about 4pm on Saturday after the Nissan sedan the group were travelling in hit a power pole.

The car was travelling down Signal Hill Rd when it clipped a parked car, veered across the road, mounted the footpath, turned 180 degrees and clipped a pole before stopping, police said.

All six men, aged in their early 20s, were taken to hospital.

The man who had been in the boot had leg and cheek fractures.

''They were all pretty lucky,'' Senior Sergeant Craig Brown said.

''I'm surprised it didn't result in a fatality, being in the boot or not.''

Speed was a factor. The serious crash unit attended the accident.

Signal Hill Rd resident Marianne Groothuis was one of the first on the scene.

''I just heard it - an impact, then squealing tyres, then a second impact and more squealing and then another impact,'' she said.''

It was really, really loud.''

The scene which greeted her was ''very serious'', she said.''

It was surprising no-one had been more seriously hurt.''

There was a lot of panic and people were very upset and they were calling out for each other.''

Another resident, Michael Falta, said his car was struck by the sedan. ''The street looked like a war zone,'' he said.

He had been out on the street with one of his children just before the accident and felt lucky no-one else was injured or killed.

The hatchback struck by a Nissan sedan as it careered down Signal Hill Rd on Saturday. Photo / Gerard O'Brien.

''It's not the first time that cars are doing 70kmh in this street. There are schools here. Something should be done to reduce the speed,'' he said.

Although his car was damaged in the crash, he ''took a little bit of solace'' it probably reduced their speed and saved the men's lives.

Snr Sgt Brown said toxicology results were not yet available. A decision on whether to charge the driver would be made after the serious crash unit had completed its investigation, he said.