Rakaia Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Tyrone Burrowes was at his Mobil service station when he heard the sound of two vehicles colliding about 10.30am on Monday.
Next thing he was off to the fire station nearby, from where firefighters responded.
A campervan and milk tanker had collided, at the corner of State Highway 1 and Elizabeth Ave, near the Mobil.
It is understood the campervan had been travelling south on the highway and turned to go on to Elizabeth St. It went into the path of the milk tanker, which had been travelling north on the highway.
Photos of the scene showed the damaged campervan on its side, next to the truck, which had damage to its front.
Burrowes said two of three occupants in the campervan had got out of the vehicle by the time firefighters arrived. The brigade then cut the windscreen of the campervan out to help the third occupant climb out.
Firefighters assisted the patients until Hato Hone St John arrived.
St John said it transported two patients, in moderate and minor condition, to Ashburton Hospital.
The highway was blocked following the crash.
Hilton Haulage chief executive Dylan Fitzgerald confirmed one of its tanker vehicles was involved in the crash.
‘‘We are unable to comment on any possible causes, but will support their police in their investigation.’’
Meanwhile, Rakaia residents will lobby government to keep the State Highway 1 speed limit through town at 50kmh.
The speed limit was reduced from 70kmh to 50kmh in May last year, in line with a reduction of the 100kmh limit to 80 north of the town due to the construction of new weighbridge stations. But the Minister of Transport Chris Bishop announced last week it would reverse blanket speed limit reductions by July 1.
Rangitata MP James Meager is on board with their fight, saying he also wants the lowered speed limit to stay.
‘‘I will be working with NZTA over the coming weeks to work on an option for maintaining the speed limit as it currently is,’’ Meager said.
Rakaia Community Association chair Neil Pluck welcomed Meager’s stance, but was not confident it would resolve the issue.
‘‘Good on James, and thank you very much. But I’m pretty bloody sceptical,’’ Pluck said.
He planned to approach Meager about seeking a reversal of the government decision.
‘‘With my experience, dealing with Transit (New Zealand Transport Authority Waka Kotahi), they don’t tend to listen,’’ Pluck said.
Rakaia School principal Mark Ellis said the crash between the campervan and milk tanker showed what could happen on the highway.
Keeping the speed lower not only improved safety for drivers, but also for families in the town needing to cross the road. Government’s decision to increase the limit was ‘‘a rush decision with no consultation’’, he said.
Clint Collett at Canterbury Motorcycles on the highway in Rakaia said Monday’s crash could have been fatal if the speed limit was 70kmh.
He said when the limit was 70kmh previously, he would hear cars and trucks tooting their horns to avoid accidents two to three times per day. With the limit now 50kmh, he rarely heard this.
‘‘The thing is with 50, people have time to react,’’ Collett said.
