An elderly man is in a critical condition after he crashed his car into a pole this morning near Roxburgh.
A police spokeswoman said emergency services were notified around 10am.
The crash occurred near Dumbarton on State Highway 8, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson confirmed.
Contrary to initial reports from police, the man was not trapped in the vehicle.
St John spokesman Gerard Campbell said a man in his 80s was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital in a critical condition.
SH8 in Roxburgh, south of the intersection with Grover's Hill Rd, was restricted to 30kmh for a time, the NZ Transport Agency said.
The road was clear about 1pm.
