Two children badly injured in a fatal crash in the Bay of Plenty may be taken to Auckland's Starship Hospital for further treatment.
The crash, on State Highway 2 in Te Puna, involved a car and a larger "people-mover" vehicle and was reported to emergency services about 12.30pm.
Tauranga fire service senior station officer Philip Price said firefighters were called to free a young boy trapped in the back seat of the smaller car.
"On arrival, there were two cars - one of which is know as.....[a] people mover. The people were out of that vehicle."
The driver of the smaller car had been killed in the crash, and the body had been removed before the fire service arrived, he said.
The roof of the car was removed and the passenger seat was pushed forward to get the little boy out.
It took about 10 minutes. He looked to be aged 3 or 4, Mr Price said.
A young girl was also travelling in the car and was already out of the vehicle when the fire service arrived, Mr Price said.]
Police said one of the children travelling in the smaller car was in a critical condition. The second child had serious injuries.
Both were at Tauranga Hospital but could could be taken to the Starship Hospital for further treatment, police said.
Six people were travelling in the second vehicle.
The two adults and four children had minor injuries and were taken to Tauranga Hospital, police said.
Weather conditions were fine at the time of the crash.
