One person is dead and four others injured after a two-car crash near Karitane, north of Dunedin today.
The crash occurred between Apes Rd and Butters Rd on State Highway 1 about about 3.30pm, a police spokeswoman said.
The highway was closed for several hours but has reopened.
A car was in a ditch on the north-bound lane of State Highway 1, while another vehicle had come to a stop facing the highway and cutting off the north-bound lane.
Traffic was backed up about 500m at a nearby intersection.
A St John spokesman said two helicopters attended and each took a person in a critical condition to Dunedin Hospital, while two others were taken by ambulance in a serious condition.
One person, understood to be a woman, died at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
- additional reporting Tim Brown