A truck driver feared someone could be killed in a horrific crash at East Taieri yesterday.
Two men were injured when a truck crossed the centre-line and smashed into an oncoming vehicle in the 60kmh zone of State Highway 1 at East Taieri about 3.30pm, police said.
The victims' families requested privacy last night.
A St John spokesman said one of the men had serious injuries, the other moderate injuries.
A spokeswoman confirmed a Fifa under-20 tournament official, understood to be World Cup Dunedin venue manager Aaron Joy, and a volunteer were injured in the crash and remained in Dunedin Hospital last night.
Police said the men's injuries were not life-threatening.
The visibly shaken truck driver told the Otago Daily Times at the scene he was heading to Invercargill when the crash occurred.
He said he saw another vehicle stop on the highway and ''I just slammed the anchors on''.
''I could have killed them ... I could have carried on and taken them out.''
He said his brakes locked up and he clipped a large trailer of an oncoming truck, sending a shower of glass from his side mirror into his cab. His truck then hit the oncoming Fifa car.
A section of the highway was closed after the crash and detours were in place.
Sergeant Kevin Davidson, of Mosgiel, said the road was re-opened about 8.30pm.
No charges had been laid last night, but the investigation was ongoing, he said.
The car stopped on the highway was ''quite within the road rules to attempt the manoeuvre''.
''There was a car stopped, indicating a turn into a driveway - that vehicle was parked correctly,'' he said.
Speed was not believed to be a factor in the crash, ''but that's part of the investigation''.
A witness, who lives nearby, said ''I just heard an almighty boom and looked out and saw carnage''.
Sgt Davidson said that area of highway had come to police attention previously.
''It's a stretch of road that has caused problems in the past because of the topographical nature of it and because the state highway is in a residential area.''
- Additional reporting Timothy Brown
