Driver, passenger lucky to escape crash without serious injuries

The driver and passenger of a car that hit a stock truck while overtaking it in Canterbury on Thursday were lucky not to be seriously injured, say firefighters.

Pendarves Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Paul Stewart said it appeared the driver somehow lost control of the vehicle, which then hit the truck before going off the road and crashing into a fence.

The two young men in the car were both from Ashburton.

‘‘They were fine, they were just shaken up, they got a hell of a fright,’’ Stewart said.

The car and the truck had been travelling east on Pendarves Rakaia Rd about 7.45pm when the crash happened.

Hato Hone St John attended the incident.

A spokesperson said three patients, two in a minor condition and one in a moderate condition, were assessed and treated at the scene.

The crash followed a nose-to-tail pile-up on State Highway 1 just south of the Ashburton River bridge about 3.45pm last Wednesday.

A motorhome at the front travelling north had a following motorhome crash into it. The third vehicle was a car with three elderly ladies, and the fourth a work van.

All had been travelling north.

The crash gridlocked traffic not only along the highway, but on surrounding roads such as South St, Moore St, Havelock St, and even as far away as Chalmers Ave.

Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade Jeff Marshall said firefighters undertook traffic control at the scene, closing one lane and directing traffic through the remaining single lane.

Drivers going through had been patient.

Once the lane reopened about 45 minutes after the crash, the traffic around town cleared within about 30 minutes, he said.

While the car was a wrecked and one of the motorhomes and work van had to be towed away, one of the motorhomes was still driveable.

It appeared the occupants of the two motorhomes knew each other and ended up all getting into the driveable motorhome to carry on their journey.

Marshall said the crash was a reminder to pay attention to traffic slowing around the bridge area, especially near traffic lights directly north of the bridge.

‘‘It’s the same old thing, just paying attention when you are driving, especially when it’s coming up to that bridge area,’’ Marshall said.

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said two patients, both in moderate conditions, were transported to Ashburton Hospital. One additional patient, in a minor condition, was assessed and treated at the scene.