One person was killed and two seriously injured people were flown to Dunedin Hospital by rescue helicopter yesterday after two separate motorcycle crashes only seven minutes apart in rural Otago.
Police confirmed yesterday one person had died and three other people were injured in a crash on SH85, Morrisons-Kyeburn Rd, Round Hill, near Kyeburn, in the Waitaki district. The crash, reported at 11.20am, involved a ute and a motorcycle and a St John spokeswoman confirmed one seriously injured person was also flown to Dunedin Hospital by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
Two other people, one with moderate injuries and another with minor injuries, were taken to Dunedin Hospital.
A police spokeswoman said the police Serious Crash Unit was examining the scene.
Traffic management and diversions remained in place and late yesterday afternoon motorists were asked to avoid the area.
Volunteer firefighters from Naseby and Ranfurly attended the crash and extricated one person, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman said.
St John confirmed a motorcyclist had been flown to Dunedin Hospital by helicopter after the second crash which happened about 11.27am near the intersection of Webster Lane and Old Dunstan Rd, Moa Creek.
The Fenz spokesman said a fire appliance and a medical support vehicle from Omakau attended the second crash, in a more remote area. Omakau deputy fire chief Lloyd Harris said the 4WD vehicle again proved to be ‘‘gold’’, helping provide initial support for the injured person.
- A person died after a ute crashed into a traffic light pole in Auckland yesterday morning.
The crash happened near the intersection of Alford St and Great North Rd just after 3am in Waterview.
Two ute occupants were injured, one seriously, and police said a third person had minor injuries.
— Additional reporting Wyatt Ryder and The New Zealand Herald
