One killed in crash with bus

Two fencing contractors helped hysterical young people from a passenger bus involved in a fatal crash in Central Otago.

At least one person has died and several others are injured after the bus and four-wheel-drive collided on State Highway 8 near Shingle Creek, near Roxburgh, just before 2pm yesterday, a police spokeswoman said.

The crash happened at a bend on a passing lane.

Laurie Crawford, of Millers Flat, and Robert Watson, of Coal Creek, were fencing on farmland beside the crash site when they heard a ‘‘hell of a bang’’, Crawford said.

‘‘It had been quite quiet, then six or seven cars came down the hill. They weren’t speeding. Then all of a sudden we heard a hell of a bang and then a big scraping noise afterwards. We came across the road and said, ‘s..., that’s not good’. People were trying to get out of the bus. There was lots of yelling and screaming going on.’’

The bus, carrying about a dozen people aged in their 20s, was on its way to Queenstown, he said.

Another person first on the scene praised emergency services for their quick response.

‘‘A policewoman was pretty much first on the scene. She was driving past at the time and she just stepped into action.

‘‘People were getting off the bus – the ones who weren’t badly injured. I was helping two young girls who were injured. They were really upset and in a lot of pain. I just tried to keep them calm and kept them still on the ground. One was badly injured. She had hurt her pelvis and hip.’’

The crash site was in a patchy cellphone coverage area, but thankfully it happened in a pocket where there was coverage, he said.

In a statement released just after 3pm, police confirmed one person had died, three were seriously injured, four had moderate injuries and several had minor injuries.

Two helicopters were sent from Dunedin, and police, St John and firefighters were sent to the scene.

State Highway 8 was closed for nearly three hours until one lane reopened about 4.45pm. The road had fully reopened by 6.30pm.

Two injured

Two people have suffered minor injuries following a car crash near Myross Bush last night. A Police spokesman said the crash happened at 6.53pm, when a car went through a fence at the intersection of Bainfield Rd and Mill Rd North. Both of the injured occupants were taken to Southland Hospital.

Search stood down

The search for missing fisherman Shan Norton McLauchlan, who went missing near the Catlins on Sunday, has been stood down. On Wednesday morning, a police spokeswoman said after two days of searching, police and Search and Rescue teams had ‘‘exhausted all resources’’. The search would be suspended unless any new information or leads came in, she said. The 29-year-old Invercargill man had been fishing off rocks at Black Point (near Slope Point), and was reported overdue on Sunday night.

Groups get funds

The latest round of Meridian’s community fund Power Up has awarded funding to four Southland community groups, including $20,000 to the Port Craig Viaducts Trust to support the preservation of Southland’s historic viaducts. The other grants include $4000 towards the construction of a playground for the Clifden School Playgroup, $40,000 for the resurfacing of the courts at Fiordland College, and $5000 for the Waiau Star Rugby Club.

Child hurt in fall

A boy was seriously injured after falling off a cliff near Wanaka. Emergency services were called about 2.35pm yesterday after the boy fell on the Rob Roy Glacier walking track, about 54 kilometres from Wanaka.