Multiple injuries in State Highway 5 crash, three people in hospital

Several people were injured, two seriously, after a crash on State Highway 5 on Thursday.

Three patients were taken to Waikato Hospital.

A police spokeswoman earlier said the two-car crash happened at the intersection of Harwoods Rd and State Highway 5 near Tapapa at 12.40pm.

A St John spokeswoman said two people were seriously injured, four moderately injured and one had minor injuries.

Three ambulances attended and a rescue helicopter from Hamilton also responded.

The St John spokeswoman said three people were taken to Waikato Hospital, two in a serious condition, and another with moderate injuries, and one of the seriously injured patients was flown to hospital in the rescue chopper.

There were no reports of road blockages, said the police spokeswoman.

Rotorua man Thomas Falconer, who witnessed the crash, said everyone seemed to be in a "bit of shock".

He said one car was turning into State Highway 28, while the other was travelling towards Rotorua on State Highway 5.

He said the cars had "crunched" bonnets and the damage made it look like a head-on crash.

The crash is along the same stretch of road where five tourists were killed when the bus they were travelling in rolled yesterday.