Five killed in crash on State Highway 3 in South Taranaki

Kris Boult/Stuff

The fatal crash near Waverley happened just after 11am on Wednesday.

Five people have died and three others have critical injuries following a two-car crash on State Highway 3 north of Waverley in Taranaki.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Area Commander Dave Utumapu said firefighters from Waverley, Patea and Whanganui are on the scene and are cutting people out of the wreckage.

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Update: multiple fatalities following Waverley crash https://t.co/FsvQmQkpHg
— New Zealand Police (@nzpolice) June 27, 2018

Emergency services were alerted to the collision near Ihupuku Road at 11.11am on Wednesday, a police spokeswoman said.

Mary-Lousie Healey, who works at the Waverley Four Square, said she had heard that there had been a head-on crash, the road was blocked "and it's quite serious".

Healey said ambulances and police had been flying past the Four Square for a while.

She said when the crash first happened farmers were directing traffic.

SH3 remains closed and diversions are in place.

11:55AM UPDATE
This road is now CLOSED. Please follow the directions of emergency services on site, and expect delays. ^HJ

https://t.co/4ee0xErk1C
— NZTA Central Nth Is (@NZTACNI) June 26, 2018

The Serious Crash Unit is attending.

A truck driver died after suffering a medical emergency and rolling his vehicle near Waverley on Monday.

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