Three people remain in hospital after north Auckland 'high-speed head on' crash

Wednesday, 15 May 2019

One person was trapped and another ejected from a vehicle after a Wednesday night crash near Kaukapakapa, north of Auckland.

Three people remain in hospital after a serious crash near Kaukapakapa, north of Auckland, on Wednesday night.

Police were called to scene of a crash involving two cars at the intersection of State Highway 16 and Makarau Rd at 8.52pm.

One person who had been trapped inside the vehicle was freed by 10pm, while another had been thrown out of the vehicle upon impact.

Four people were injured in the crash. A St John spokesperson said one person was airlifted via rescue helicopter to Auckland City Hospital's emergency department in a critical condition.

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One person who was trapped in one of the vehicles was freed by 10pm. Police were called about 8.52pm.

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The other three people taken to hospital's current condition is unknown, but on route to hospital two were in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition.

One person received critical injuries and two people serious injuries after the alleged high speed, head-on collision near Kaukapakapa.

A spokesman for the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust described the crash as a 'high speed head-on' collision.

Crew assisted a man in his 30s who was trapped in one of the vehicles who had multiple injuries and was in a critical condition.

The man was trapped in his vehicle for a further 15 minutes after the helicopter landed in an adjacent paddock, the spokesman said.

After the 'difficult extraction' he required a rapid sequence intubation (RSI) to assist with his breathing. Two units of blood were given to the driver in-flight.

A Code Crimson protocol had been activated - a kind of trauma activation - which means all necessary medical staff such as anaesthetists and surgeons are ready to receive patients who will need a high level of care.

On Thursday morning, an Auckland DHB spokeswoman said the critically injured person was now stable, while other patients were still being assessed.

Road closures had been in place on SH16 between West Coast Rd and Makarau Rd, but a police spokeswoman said on Thursday the road had been cleared by the Serious Crash Unit by 1am.

Further inquiries into the crash were being undertaken, she said.