Two-vehicle crash on SH1

A Christchurch man sustained minor injuries after his vehicle rear-ended a ute towing a trailer near Palmerston yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1, south of Horse Range Rd, shortly after 5.30am.

Senior Constable Wayne Brew, of Hampden, said the 54-year-old male driver of a northbound Volkswagen Crafter van hit the back of a trailer being towed by a Mitsubishi Triton ute after the latter had slowed to pull into a rest area.

When the trailer was hit, it went under the front of the Volkswagen before it flipped and came to rest on its side.

The ute, a pilot support vehicle, was towing a trailer load of equipment when it was struck from behind, ‘‘but was not in the business of being a pilot vehicle at the time’’, Snr Const Brew said.

The driver of the Volkswagen was taken to Dunedin Hospital via ambulance with minor injuries.

An NZ Transport Agency alert said one lane of the highway was closed for about three hours after the crash and was reopened about 8.20am.

daniel.birchfield@odt.co.nz

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