A car broke in two yesterday when it collided with a van on State Highway 1 just south of the twin bridges across the Waihao River near Waimate.
One occupant of the 1991 Mazda Familia was flown from Waimate Airport, just north of the crash, by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter to Dunedin Hospital with serious to moderate injuries.
The 20-year-old woman was in the front passenger seat, which bore the brunt of the collision.
Two others in the car received minor injuries and were treated by St John at the scene.
The male driver of the van was its sole occupant.
He suffered minor injuries and was also treated at the scene.
Sergeant Mike van der Heyden, of Waimate, said the car was travelling north from Oamaru when a tyre appeared to have blown out just after 3pm and the driver lost control.
The car veered across the road into the south-bound lane, colliding with the van, which was travelling to Waihola.
Sgt van der Heyden said Waimate police would continue to investigate the cause of the crash, including testing the Mazda car for any faults.
