A second person has died on southern roads in as many days.
A man died in central Invercargill yesterday after a truck and a car collided at the intersection of Dee and Avenal Sts at 12.57pm.
Off-duty firefighter Murray Milne-Maresca, of Invercargill, said he was first on the scene.
‘‘The car collided and came straight towards us so it was right in front of me. When it hit the truck, it was dragged towards me and hit the island.’’
Mr Milne-Maresca, who was travelling south on Dee St behind the car at the time, confirmed there was one man in the car.
Three fire appliances, two ambulances and two police cars attended the incident.
‘‘They did a great job and moved very quickly by working together with ambulance.’’
He said the driver of the truck appeared ‘‘severely traumatised’’.
Ryal Bush Transport Ltd general manager Shannon McEwan confirmed the truck was a company vehicle.
‘‘We are currently helping police with their inquiries. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families involved. We are supporting our driver through this sad time.’’
A witness at the scene said the truck turned into Avenal St while the car was pulling out when the two collided.
The truck driver was out of the truck and appeared to be uninjured, he said.
The road was closed until just after 3pm.
A police investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, in Queenstown, a 29-year-old tourist was charged in relation to the death of Noelene Margaret Tait (84), of Queenstown, in a crash in Frankton Rd on Tuesday.
Sergeant Simon Matheson said the man would appear in the Queenstown District Court on Monday one charge of careless driving causing death, and two of careless driving causing injury.
Mrs Tait died at the scene of the crash, which involved two cars and a motorbike, in Frankton Rd, near the intersection with Hensman Rd, about 3.30pm.
She was an early member of the Arrow Miners Band and was formerly a nurse at then Kew Hospital in Invercargill.
Sgt Matheson said the motorcyclist, a 47-year-old Central Otago man, was flown to Dunedin Hospital, where he underwent surgery for a badly broken ankle.
A 30-year-old female passenger of the car driven by the arrested man was treated for minor injuries at the Lakes District Hospital.
Police expressed gratitude to the public for their patience and co-operation during the ‘‘massive delay’’ caused by the crash.
It was the second serious crash on Frankton Rd in three days.
The woman in Queenstown and the man in Invercargill were the second and third deaths on southern roads so far this year.
A woman was killed in a crash on SH96 near Winton on January 2.
