Hokianga crash: Youths critically hurt for car hits shipping container

The Northland Rescue Helicopter within crash scene on SH12 in close proximity Omanaia. The shipping container minted by the car can be seen on the left. Video / photo / NEST

A pair young Northland men — one particular of whom wasn’t wearing a seatbelt — were left fighting for their living after their car skidded off road at high speed and smashed perfect shipping container.

The crash occurred near Ōmanaia on State Highway 12 to South Hokianga, between Duddy Rd and Ayrton Rd, about to get involved with. 15pm on Tuesday.

Rawene fire chief Zak Bristow watched it unfold due to his deck a few hundred metre distances from the crash scene.

He estimated the VOLKSWAGEN Golf GTI Turbo was on a journey at 140-150km/h when it lost manage, spun around and slammed to the rear into a container in a paddock.

The impact shunted the actual 6m container at least 2m sideways.

Three Middle North youths, all thought to be which entails 18 years old, were in the car. A pair of were able to get out of the wreckage without any help but firefighters had to extricate the exact backseat passenger.

Both passengers were initially rehabilitation critical condition with multiple agony.

Their diagnosis had improved by the time they arrived in hospital and both are expected to live through. The driver’s condition was initially sizeable but improved to moderate.

One patient was considered flown directly from the crash selection to Whangārei Hospital by the Northland Rescue Helicopter but the weather owned closed in by the time a second helicopter got here from Auckland.

The other passenger was transported because of St John Ambulance to Rawene Hospital, where the chopper was able to plot of land using instruments.

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Volunteer firefighters provided life-preserving first-aid and stopped traffic, Bristow reported.

The freeway remained closed until 10. 30pm while police carried out an investigation.

Senior Constable Warren Bunn, of the police Serious Wreck Unit, said the vehicle was driving west in wet conditions given that it slid off the road at a right-hand function and hit the container, making their way to rest upside-down.

There was a strong smell of petroleum at the scene — either their tank ruptured or the cap was off when the car was over its roof — so the passangers were “very lucky” it don’t ignite.

A minumum of one of the occupants was not wearing a seatbelt because he was found pressed facing a pillar.

“His injuries didn’t have to be your serious. Drive to the conditions and always wear a seatbelt, ” Bunn said.

Liquid blood samples had been taken for alcohol testing.