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State Highway 1 reopens following serious two-car crash in South Canterbury

Friday, 29 January 2021

Delayed motorists stand on State Highway 1 looking south towards the scene of a serious crash near the Pareora River south of Timaru.
Delayed motorists stand on State Highway 1 looking south towards the scene of a serious crash near the Pareora River south of Timaru.

Firefighters have cut a person free from a vehicle after two cars collided in a head-on crash on State Highway 1 in South Canterbury.

Two people were injured and a stretch of the road, which is notorious for crashes, was closed when the crash happened on the Timaru-Pareora Highway just north of the Pareora River about 5.45am on Friday.

Fire crews from St Andrews and Washdyke were called to the crash, which a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said was reportedly “head-on”.

One person had been trapped in their vehicle and firefighters used specialist cutting gear to rescue them, he said.

A Downer road team member diverts southbound State Highway 1 traffic along Beaconsfield Rd after a crash blocked the highway near Pareora.
A Downer road team member diverts southbound State Highway 1 traffic along Beaconsfield Rd after a crash blocked the highway near Pareora.

**READ MORE:

* Concerns of South Canterbury residents recognised in speed limit review

* NZTA draws Timaru District Council flak over Pareora speed limit

* Pareora's 100kmh speed limit to stay

**

Crews also cleared the road after it was left strewn with debris.

A police spokeswoman said the serious crash unit had been notified.

One person suffered serious injuries and the other was moderately injured. Both were taken to Timaru Hospital by ambulance.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency reported the highway had reopened at 10am, but warned motorists could expect delays while congestion eased.

The section of SH1 near Pareora has been the site of several crashes over the past few years, including fatal crashes in 2018, and 2017.

After the 2017 crash, which also injured five people, locals called for the speed limit to be reduced from 100kmh to 80kmh. The speed limit has not changed.