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Ambulance involved in fatal crash

Monday 11 July 2011, 7:35AM

By New Zealand Police

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TAUMARUNUI

One person is dead and two others are in a serious condition after a car crashed with a paramedic car near Taumarunui yesterday afternoon.

The paramedic car was travelling behind an ambulance on SH41. The two vehicles were returning in convoy to Taumarunui Hospital. The ambulance was carrying two patients, victims of an earlier car crash.

At around 4.30pm, a Mazda heading toward Turangi appears to have lost control and clipped the rear of the ambulance. It then crashed head-on into the paramedic car.

The driver of the Mazda died at the scene.

The Mazda’s front seat passenger was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. The sole occupant of the paramedic car, a female ambulance officer, was transported there by ambulance. Both are in a serious but stable condition.

The crew of the front ambulance were unharmed. The two patients were transported on to Taumarunui Hospital.

The Palmerston North Serious Crash Unit is attending the scene.

SH41 was closed after the crash and will not be reopened until 11pm at the earliest.