By Emily Norman
Two people escaped serious injury after their car and caravan veered off the road and crashed down a bank yesterday afternoon.
The towed caravan landed on top of the car, trapping a female passenger.
The crash happened just before 4.30pm just north of the Mount Bruce summit in Masterton.
Masterton Fire Service officer Mike Cornford said the male driver was able to get out of the vehicle, but cutting gear had to be used to free the female passenger.
“We used our cutting gear to open up the back part of the vehicle so she could be extricated that way,” he said.
“It is unbelievably surprising they weren’t critically injured.
“It was a very solid vehicle, like a Volvo SUV and it was really well-built – it had all the safety features.
“That’s probably what saved (the occupants) any further injuries – the airbags had all gone off.
It is understood the pair had been Napier-bound but police could not confirm where they were from.
Acting Sergeant Tony Matheson said the pair were assessed by ambulance but “were not deemed to be critically injured”.
“At this stage, it doesn’t look like they’re going to be going to hospital,” he said.
“From what I understand, a car towing a caravan northbound a few hundred metre north of the Mount Bruce summit got into some difficulties with the caravan.
“Witnesses are saying it started fishtailing and eventually it’s got worse and the caravan and the car were dragged off the side of the road to where they are now.
“The caravan is on top of the car.”
Masterton Fire Service, the Eketahuna Fire Brigade, and Masterton police attended the crash.
