Person seriously injured at Mourea crash

Crash scene on State Highway 33 between Okere Falls and Mourea. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Emergency services on their way to a crash at Okere Falls came across another serious crash.

The crash, on State Highway 33 between Mourea and Okere Falls, happened about 4pm.

Emergency services were at the time responding to a crash nearby on Maniatutu Rd where a baby was taken to Rotorua Hospital for observation after being in a vehicle that rolled.

A police spokesman said while emergency services were on their way, they came across a 4WD vehicle that had left the road and hit a ditch.

Four people were inside the car and one person was taken to Rotorua Hospital with serious injuries. The other three had moderate injuries.

Rotorua Daily Post photographer Stephen Parker was at the scene and said emergency services were working to free the occupants.

He said the fire crews were using the jaws of life.

Traffic was banked up quite a long way on both sides and at 4.30pm vehicles were only just starting to slowly move.