A van carrying two adults and seven teenagers was travelling on State Highway 5 towards Rotorua when it collided with a milk tanker travelling in the opposite direction at approximately 4.30pm.
The crash happened near Settlers Rd near Reporoa. The driver of the van, an adult male,
The tanker driver, aged in his 60s, was taken to Rotorua Hospital and has since been discharged.
Witnesses described hearing loud screeches when the vehicles collided.
Torian Reihana said he heard the crash from the shed where he was working. "We just heard all this screeching, then a big bang when the van and truck collided."
Emergency services staff tend to the injured. Photo / Stephen Parker
Mr Reihana said he and a friend went down to the crash site to investigate what had happened."
When we got down to the road there was already about 60 people who had gathered around the crash and were trying to help the injured people.
"One woman told me she was driving behind the van and [tanker] when they crashed and said metal was flying everywhere."
Mr Reihana said the van was totalled. "It looked pretty bad when we got down there, it was lucky people survived."
Police said the investigation into the crash was ongoing.
