One dead after bus crushes car

The sole occupant of a car was killed yesterday morning when their vehicle and a Southern Discoveries bus collided on State Highway 6, near the Devil’s Staircase.

The highway was closed to all traffic for about four hours following the  crash, which happened about 7.45am.

Southern Discoveries Queenstown operations manager Bryony Dalby-Ball said in a statement the company would work closely with authorities investigating the incident.

"Details of exactly what happened are still coming to light, but we understand the driver of the car passed away at the scene and our condolences go out to their family and friends."

The driver of the bus and all 14 passengers  were uninjured.

Ms Dalby-Ball said passengers were transported to their accommodation in Queenstown and the company was providing them, and its staff, with "any support they may require".

Acting Sergeant Terry Wood, of Queenstown,  said it appeared the car was over the centre line.

"The bus has ended up — due to size — more or less on top of the car ... traumatic thing for [the bus passengers] to watch, but no injuries to them."

The Serious Crash Unit and Commercial Vehicle Safety team are both investigating.

Debris could be seen strewn across both lanes of the road, about 17km south of Kelvin Heights  — the vehicle appeared to have been lodged under the front left wheel of the bus.

The bus was facing south and had come to a stop on the right side of the road.

St John communications adviser Neha Concisom said they were alerted at 7.44am and dispatched "multiple vehicles".

The first ambulance on scene determined there was no need for further medical care and all other ambulances were stood down.

Fire Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) communications adviser Ian Littlejohn said crews from Kingston, Frankton and Queenstown, as well as support vehicles, attended — the first vehicle was at the scene within 11 minutes of the initial call.

Fire crews later assisted in cutting one person from a vehicle, he said.

No further information was available last night.

It was the second serious crash on that stretch of road in less than 48 hours — on Friday morning one person was flown to Dunedin Hospital by helicopter after a head-on collision.

One vehicle appeared to have hit a rock wall, while the other car came to rest against a barrier on the lake side of the road.

Two other people involved in that crash were transported to Lakes District Hospital with minor injuries.