Woman critical after head-on crash closes State Highway 1 at Paekakariki

Traffic jam on SH 1 after a head-on crash closed the road. Picture / Andrew Potvin

Three people have been rushed to hospital following a head-on collision south of Wellington.

Emergency services were called to the scene at State Highway 1, just south of Paekakariki, at around 11am.

Five people were injured in the crash.

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One woman - believed to be the driver of a northbound car - was airlifted to Wellington Hospital with critical injuries, a spokeswoman for the Wellington Free Ambulance said.

Two others who were travelling in a southbound car - including the driver - were taken to the same hospital via ambulance, suffering moderate injuries.

Two other people were treated at the scene, the spokeswoman said.

The road was closed between the railway overbridge and Paekakariki Hill Rd.

It was reopened shortly before 2.30pm, and police warned there would be delays while traffic clears.

The Labour Weekend road toll stands at one, following a collision on Auckland's Southern Motorway near Pokeno early this morning.

The official holiday road period runs from 4pm on Friday to 6am on Tuesday. Last year the Labour Weekend road toll was five, from 94 reported injury crashes.