Four people have died following a crash between a van and truck in Canterbury this morning.
Police say they were called amid reports of a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Cochrane and Wakanui roads in Ashburton at 9.30am.
Three of those killed died at the scene, while the other died en route to hospital.
In addition, two people have been transported to Christchurch Hospital, with one person in critical condition and the other in serious condition, Inspector David Gaskin told reporters at a press conference just before noon today.
The truck driver was among those injured in the crash, but Gaskin said the person wasn't "badly injured".
Gaskin said the adult occupants of the van had travelled from around the North Island.
He said it's believed at this stage that the van had gone through a controlled intersection, where it crashed with a truck in "a moment’s carelessness".
Two fire trucks were called to the scene at 9.37am after one person was found trapped.
Officers are conducting a thorough scene examination, which will be ongoing and the road is likely to be close for much of the afternoon, Gaskin said.
"This is an absolute tragedy. It’s a terrible start to Queen’s Birthday.”
The formal identification process of those who have died is likely to take some time, he said.
It comes after a motorcyclist died following a crash involving a car in Upper Riccarton before 7am this morning.
Earlier today, Students Against Dangerous Driving called for a collective response to change New Zealand’s “dismal 40-year record” of fatalities on Queen’s Birthday weekend.
From 1980 to 2020, there has been only one Queen’s Birthday weekend - in 2013 - that has finished with no fatalities on New Zealand roads, SADD said.
“It’s down to all of us to make the changes necessary to alter this unenviable record,” SADD national manager Donna Govorko said.
The official holiday road toll for the Queen's Birthday weekend begins at 4pm today.
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