Two dead in fiery crash on State Highway 1 near Tokoroa
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Two people have died and three people have been taken to hospital after a fiery crash on State Highway 1 near Tokoroa.
Emergency services were called to the crash, just south of the South Waikato township between Galaxy and Main roads at 1.05pm on Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said.
Three vehicles were involved in the crash. One car caught fire while another vehicle ended up in a ditch.
Police confirmed two people had died at the scene.
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Four rescue helicopters were sent to the scene as well as five ambulances, three managers and one rapid response unit, a St John spokeswoman said.
Heavy downpours hitting the region meant some of the injured were transported by road ambulance due to poor flying conditions, a St John spokesperson confirmed.
One person in a critical condition and one in a serious condition were being taken by road to Waikato Hospital.
One person was flown to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition.
Photos of the scene show multiple helicopters landed on the road and in a nearby field. One vehicle could be seen in the ditch on the side of a road amid scrub.
The crash happened about half a kilometre north of the overhead bridge on a slightly sweeping bend.
The crash happened near where another person was killed last year.
Police were advising people to be mindful of the weather when driving, and to be particularly wary of surface flooding.
The road was re-opened to traffic by shortly before 6.45pm.