Toll increase: ‘tragic loss’ after fatal crash in Christchurch

One person died and others were injured after an accident on Russley Road in Christchurch last night.

Police were called for the serious single-vehicle accident in Harewood at 10:45 p.m.

Passersby stopped to help before emergency services arrived and spoke about the carnage on social media.

Tributes are also being paid to the person who passed away, who is believed to be a young father.

Police said several people were seriously injured in the crash, which is under investigation.

The road was blocked and closed, but has since reopened.

People who knew the victim paid tribute on a Christchurch news Facebook page.

“It is such a tragic loss, and it leaves behind some beautiful children and an amazing couple,” said one family member.

Another woman close to the victim posted: “I am completely, absolutely broken right now; words cannot describe the feeling, I am shattered.”

Daniel van Kessel arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after it happened and got out of his car to help.

He said there were three people, one lying “immobile” on the road, another trapped under the car and a third with serious lacerations to his hand.

“I was driving north on Russley Road at 10.45pm and just as I crossed the bridge before the BP station, I noticed the fact that there were a lot of brake lights on ahead,” he said this morning.

“When I got closer to 50 meters or so from the scene, I saw people crossing the street, which was definitely not right.

“Then I noticed that the vehicle in the southbound lane looking the other way looked badly hit.”

Van Kessel stopped his car and got out.

“I heard a woman screaming on the side of the road and I went to help her … she told me she had a glass stuck in her hand and she couldn’t feel her hand.”

“Then other passersby who had stopped to help told me that there is a woman trapped under the car, a silver Subaru pickup or similar).

“This woman is calling the first woman I spoke to saying they love each other.”

He then saw the third person lying face down and motionless on the road away from the vehicle.

Van Kessel called 111, telling them to hurry while other motorists passed and they could see the deceased victim in plain sight.

By the time he hung up the phone, the police had arrived and officers were pleading with the person on the road to “keep breathing.”

Van Kessel offered to help police lift the wrecked car to free the trapped woman, but said they refused.

In about five minutes, the road was “flooded” with ambulances, firefighters and police personnel.

Van Kessel gave his name and contact details to an officer and headed home.

Today I was waiting to give a formal statement to the police.

He is the ninth fatality on the roads during the current holiday period.

Eight other people have died on roads across the country since Christmas Day, more than double the total toll from last year.

Terry Charleston, 34, and Rebecca McAlees, 24, were killed in an accident on Christmas night on Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd, south of Auckland.

Hours later, two young men, fellow 20-year-old Jack Heritage Jr. and Viliami Muru-Teutau, died in the early hours of Boxing Day after the vehicle they were in crashed on Triangle Rd in Massey, West Auckland.

James and Kareen Malcolm of Invercargill were killed Monday when their motorcycle collided with a milk tanker on the Riverton-Wallacetown Freeway (State Highway 99), between Taramoa Rd and Price Rd.

The eighth death was on Kahikatea Rd, Dairy Flat, on Tuesday.