State Highway 3 crash: Woman remains in critical condition after collision near Ōtorohanga

A woman in her 40s remains in hospital in a critical condition after a car and truck crash on State Highway 3 near Ōtorohanga on June 1.

The woman was trapped in one of the vehicles and needed to be extracted by emergency services. She sustained “multiple trauma injuries”.

A police spokesperson told the Waikato Herald today the woman remained in critical but stable condition in hospital.

“The Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating a crash that occurred on State Highway 3 near Kiokio on Saturday.”

The crash happened on SH3 near Ōtorohanga between Cherry Rd and Kio Kio Station Rd.

It was reported to emergency services at 11.55am.

A Greenlea Rescue Helicopter spokesperson said a female in her 40s sustained multiple trauma injuries after being involved in the accident.

“The patient was treated on scene by the onboard critical care flight paramedic and was then transported to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.”

Hato Hone St John responded to the incident with two ambulances, one helicopter and two rapid response vehicles.

“Our team assessed two patients at the scene, with one transported to Waikato Hospital [by helicopter] in a critical condition,” a St John spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said a second patient was “assessed as being in a minor condition”.

The road was closed and detours were in place for several hours after the crash.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi issued an alert on social media at 8.05am on Sunday, stating the road had reopened.

The news comes after two other serious crashes occurred on SH3 within one week.

The previous Tuesday, a catastrophic collision between two vehicles killed all five occupants north of the Waipā District township of Te Awamutu.

Former Waipā councillor James Parlane, 61, of Te Awamutu died after his Land Rover collided with a truck on Friday, May 24 in Ōhaupō, near Hamilton.

According to the Ministry of Transport’s provisional data, the Waikato region had the highest road death toll in the country for the past two years.

The ministry’s provisional data shows 26 people have died on Waikato roads this year. Last year’s total provisional road toll for the region was 67.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.