Four die in head-on smash

Four people killed in a car crash last night had ``no show of survival'' as a truck and trailer appeared to run straight over the top of their vehicle, the tow truck driver who attended the crash says.

Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 4 just south of Erua, between Ohakune and National Park, shortly after 10pm last night, police said.

Initial reports said two people had been killed, but that was quickly upgraded to four people - all from the same vehicle.

A 26-year-old man from the same car was also airlifted to hospital in a critical condition. The truck driver received minor injuries.

The tow truck driver who attended the crash last night, Colin Fredricksen, told APNZ it was one of the worst crashes he had seen on the job.

``I've seen others that have been bad, but not so many people involved.''

The car, which Mr Fredricksen said appeared to have five young men in it, was overtaking a truck when it collided head-on with another truck as it came around a corner, he said.

``He ran straight up over the top of the car, it smashed the motor and suspension completely out of the car, and squashed right to the back of the back seat,'' Mr Fredricksen said.

``These guys had no show of survival, there was no way they were going to survive with the truck running dead over the top of them.''

Mr Fredricksen said he spoke to the truck driver this morning, who could only recall seeing the headlights of the oncoming car before the crash.

Bryan Finnerty, from the Crossing Backpackers Ski Lodge in National Park, said the weather conditions last night were better than it has been all week.

There had not been a frost in the area for the past two days, and there was no ice on the road.

``The weather was good, and the road conditions were excellent,'' he said.

``It's a bit of a worry because it's the second large fatal accident in the last four months [in the area].''

Four American exchange students were killed in a crash near Turangi as they made their way to the Tongariro Crossing in May this year.

A Waikato Hospital District Health Board spokeswoman said the 26-year-old was transferred to Waikato Hospital early this morning. He was in a critical condition and in surgery.

- APNZ