SH1 crash: 'Someone's at fault here'

The serious crash unit at the crash scene yesterday. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
The serious crash unit at the crash scene yesterday. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

It's ''too early to say'' whether charges will be laid over a crash south of Dunedin yesterday that left a woman in a critical condition in hospital.

Senior Sergeant Al Dickie, of Mosgiel, said initial reports suggested the 20-year-old Milton woman might have crossed the centre line on State Highway 1 near Henley about 7am and smashed into a northbound ute.

A 50-year-old Balclutha man driving the ute was moderately injured.

Both were the sole occupants of their vehicles.

The woman was initially trapped in her black sedan, before being extracted by Milton firefighters.

Snr Sgt Dickie said if the woman survived, she would be "very lucky''.

"It just shows what a 200kmh [impact] causes.

"At that speed, things are going on inside the body,'' he said.

He understood the woman was out of surgery at Dunedin Hospital.

Both drivers would be tested for alcohol, but when that happened would be determined by the health of the woman, Snr Sgt Dickie said.

It was too early to say whether charges would be laid but "someone's at fault here and an innocent person had to deal with that'', Snr Sgt Dickie said.

A police spokeswoman said the woman was in intensive care but no update was available on the male driver, who was also in Dunedin Hospital.

The serious crash unit was investigating.

rhys.chamberlain@odt.co.nz

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