It has been a heartbreaking start to the holiday season on South Island roads, as four lives were lost in tragic crashes yesterday.
One fatality occurred in a multi-vehicle collision near Kingston, another in the Mackenzie District, and two more in a crash on State Highway 1 near Greta Valley in Canterbury.
The collision near Kingston, reported around 4.05pm, involved three vehicles with several individuals sustaining serious or critical injuries.
The accident in Greta Valley involved two vehicles and was reported at 7.15pm, while the third crash, involving a single vehicle, took place near Albury on State Highway 8 and was reported at 9.20pm.
There were a total of 20 patients from the Kingston crash for Hato Hone St John to attend to, with nine ambulances dispatched to the scene.
According to St John, two individuals were critically injured and two had serious injuries.
The crash near Kingston involved two cars and a tour bus on State Highway 6, near the intersection of Glen Nevis Station Rd, Kingston, and was reported to authorities at 4.05pm yesterday.
The emergency response included the dispatch of six helicopters, with four coming from Dunedin and two from Queenstown, as confirmed by Helicopters Otago managing director Graeme Gale.
A pilot from Queenstown managed operations on the ground, while medical personnel tended to multiple patients, Gale stated.
Gale expressed sympathy for the families and loved ones affected by the tragic accident just before Christmas.
He stressed the importance of providing medical care to patients before they could be admitted to the hospital.
Flying conditions were challenging for transporting patients to Dunedin Hospital due to low cloud cover and drizzle, Gale noted.
Police confirmed that one individual from the cars involved died at the scene, with two others sustaining critical injuries.
Additionally, at least two bus passengers were reported to have serious injuries, while several others had moderate injuries, according to the authorities.
The crash led to the closure of the road from the Kingston township to Wye Creek, as reported by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The road remained shut for several hours, urging drivers to delay travel plans, as no immediate detour was available.
Paramedics, multiple ambulances, and the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter were dispatched to the scene, as stated by St John.
Three fire brigades responded to the incident, categorized as “heavy rescue” on the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) incidents website.
Madonna Pradeep, owner of Kingston Corner Shop and Cafe, mentioned that customers had been redirected to the store after encountering the road closure.
She was alerted to the crash while at home and rushed to the store to assist as it became busy. The sound of a helicopter overhead heightened concerns among people in the area.
Customers were informed that the road would remain closed overnight due to the bus blocking the roadway.
Reports indicated that Fenz utilized “cutting gear” to extricate individuals from a vehicle. – APL/RNZ
