Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said the occupants were lucky to survive after the northbound driver lost control of their vehicle and collided with a red ute on State Highway1, between Henley-Berwick Rd and the Waipori River bridge at 5.15pm on Tuesday.
"The northbound car had six occupants. There were two adult females, one was the driver, two children aged 6-10 years, and two adult males in their 20s.
"One of those adult males was unrestrained in the boot of the car.
"Seatbelts are there for a reason. They’ve been shown to save lives.
"Being in an overloaded vehicle puts anyone who is not restrained in danger.
"It’s a 100kmh area, frequently used by heavy motor vehicles.
"Had that car hit a heavy motor vehicle, then we would be looking at at least one fatality — probably more.
There had been previous incidents where people had been killed around Otago and the rest of the country, because they were riding in the boot of a car when it crashed.
"It’s just plain dangerous behaviour.
"It’s putting yourself in a dangerous position."
He said three people were taken to Dunedin Hospital — two with serious injuries, including a suspected spinal injury and a suspected badly broken leg.
Three others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
The police serious crash unit had been informed of the incident and police were appealing for information from witnesses.
