One person has died in a crash between a truck and car in Invercargill this afternoon.
A St John spokeswoman said St John were notified of the crash at the intersection of Dee and Avenal Sts at 12.57pm.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to Otago Daily Times one person had died in the crash.
The road is closed following the crash, which police have called "serious" and diversions were in place for Dee St on Fox St and Herbert St.
Police said they were at the crash scene as of 1.50pm and asked motorists to avoid the area.
Invercargill chief fire investigator Murray Milne-Maresca, who was travelling South on Dee St behind the car at the time, confirmed there was one male driver in the vehicle.
"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.''
Firefighters used rescue equipment, known as the ''jaws of life'', to remove the roof and doors of the vehicle to gain access to the driver and remove him.
"They did a great job and moved very quickly by working together with ambulance.''
Members of the public managed to source a fire extinguisher from nearby to have ''just in case''.
"The airbag in the car did deploy during the crash.''
He said the driver of the truck appeared ''severely traumatised''.
A witness at the scene said the truck was turning into Avenal St while the car was pulling out and the two collided.
The truck driver was out of their vehicle and appeared to be uninjured, he said.
A reporter at the scene said three fire appliances, two ambulances and two police cars attended.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand took the roof off the car to extract the male occupant of the car.
He was taken away in a St John ambulance.
