Sergeant Regan Gray, of Balclutha, said the three occupants of a Holden Commodore that crashed on State Highway 1 about 17km west of Balclutha yesterday morning were "fortunate" to have escaped with only moderate injuries.
The accident occurred about 11am near the intersection with Clifton Rd, when the northbound car appeared to have crossed the centre line, colliding with the rear section of a large truck-trailer unit heading south towards Clinton, Sgt Gray said.
The driver of the Commodore then lost control of the vehicle, and its engine and other components became separated from the front of the vehicle during the crash before it came to rest on the opposite side of the highway.
The car’s engine block could be seen in a ditch across the road, about 20m away.
All three occupants were taken to Dunedin Hospital by ambulance, for treatment for moderate injuries, St John said. The driver of the truck was unhurt.
St John, firefighters and police all attended, initially closing the highway, on which traffic was able to resume via a single lane after about 30 minutes.
Conditions on the cresting bend were wet, following rain showers during the morning.
Sgt Gray said it was too early to determine whether speed or alcohol were factors in the crash, and investigations were continuing.
"It was quite a slick road at the time, which may have been a contributing factor, but it’s too early to say exactly what occurred," he said.
"But it’s not often you come up against a truck and emerge relatively unscathed, so they’ve been pretty fortunate today."
