Two Edendale residents should ‘‘buy some lotto tickets’’ after a truck involved in a fatal crash ploughed through their bedroom while they slept.
One person is dead after a serious crash between sent a truck careening into a house on State Highway One, Southland, at 10.20pm last night.
Fire and Emergency NZ Edendale chief fire officer Brent Shepherd said initially his crew was called after reports of a truck crashing into the house.
It was not until they got there that it became clear a car was also involved.
‘‘There is a family who is not getting someone home tonight, which is always a tragedy.’’
The two residents of the house were asleep in their bedroom at the time of the crash and were woken up with the truck driving into their bedroom.
‘‘The truck driver and the two occupiers of the house should go out and buy some lotto tickets — they were very, very lucky.’’
A truck and car collided, before the truck then smashed into a house after going off the road, a police spokeswoman said.
‘‘One person was located deceased at the scene, the truck driver received minor injuries and there were no injuries sustained by the occupants of the house.’’
State Highway 1 is now open in both directions with stop/go in place.
The highway had been closed between Dacre and Mataura and the northbound lane was closed this morning, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said.
