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John Bisset / Stuff
Two people were killed and another seriously injured after a two-car collision in South Taranaki on Thursday. (file photo)
Two people were killed in a car accident in South Taranaki on Thursday morning.
The deaths raise the Taranaki highway toll to 11 by 2020.
The collision occurred on State Highway 3, at the intersection with Oreilly Rd, south of Pātea Township, around 10.30am and St John’s police, firefighters and ambulance personnel are assisting.
A third person was flown to Whanganui Hospital seriously injured by the Taranaki community rescue helicopter, a St John spokesman said.
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Traffic stopped in both directions while emergency services worked at the scene, but the road reopened around 2:20 p.m.
Catherine Groenestein / Things
State highway three south of Pātea is closed after a two-car collision on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that there had been two deaths.
He said the police Serious Accident Unit was examining the scene and the road was closed while emergency services worked at the scene.
While investigations into the circumstances of the double fatality were ongoing, police would not speculate what may have caused the accident as it could jeopardize the investigation, he said.
Catherine Groenestein / Things
Traffic on State Highway Three near Pātea came to a halt on Thursday after a two-car collision south of the municipality.
The backlog of traffic was beginning to flow again.
More information will be released when it becomes available, he said.
New Zealand Fire and Emergencies Central Region communications shift manager Mike Wanoa said brigades from Pātea, Waverley and Whanganui were on site.
MORE TO COME
