Emergency services were called shortly after midday on Monday to the two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 at Titri near Waihola, 39km south of Dunedin.
Two people died at the scene and four others were taken to hospital, three in a critical condition and one in a serious condition.
Helicopters Otago chief executive Graeme Gale said they sent two helicopters to the scene.
"There was multiple fire brigade staff there, multiple St John ambulances there as well. There was a lot of people on the scene, it was a very busy scene. It was pretty horrific.
"Everyone's just reeling in the aftermath of what happened."
The stretch of road has a history of crashes including one that claimed the life of a Dunedin man on Christmas Day in 2021.
Last July, a courier van driver was forced to evade an oncoming ute that was overtaking a logging truck in the same area, swerving, rolling and ending up on the other side of the road.
"I've actually flown to a number of incidents on that stretch of road," Gale said.
"It's just one of those pieces of road that appears to have quite a high accident rate."
Te Whatu Ora said patient privacy had been requested so condition updates on those who were injured yesterday would not be available.
Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate what led to the crash.
In a statement to The New Zealand Herald Acting District Commander Inspector Damion Rangitutia said police wanted to acknowledge the lives lost and serious injuries inflicted following the crash.
“Any death on our roads is an absolute tragedy, let alone multiple fatalities, and our hearts go out to the friends and loved ones in our community that will be affected by this sudden loss.
“Such a sudden loss of life is extremely hard for families to come to terms with and is life changing, knowing a loved one is gone.”
The impact was also “keenly felt” by emergency services who attended.
“Police are now working hard to understand how this crash occurred and our focus is on supporting the families of those involved and providing them with answers.
- additional reporting NZ Herald
