One person is dead and two are injured after a head-on crash involving two cars and a motorcycle on the main road into Queenstown this afternoon.



The crash occurred on Frankton Rd about 100m from the intersection with Hensman Rd and State Highway 6A, near The Rees Hotel, at 3.37pm.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson confirmed to an Otago Daily Times reporter at the scene that the person killed was a female but had no details about her age.

Emergency services at the crash scene this afternoon. Photo: Guy Williams

Snr Sgt Wilkinson said one other person - the motorcyclist - was seriously injured and St John have said another received moderate injuries.

He said an early scene examination indicated one car had crossed the centreline and struck the other vehicle and the motorcyclist.

That stretch of Frankton Rd is governed by a 70kmh restriction, while Hensman Rd is in the 50kmh zone.

The two cars were significantly damaged and the motorcycle was lying on its side about 50m away.

In an update around 6pm the NZ Transport Agency advised that the one lane of the road was closed, from Queenstown to Frankton, and a detour was in place. The other lane was open but delays were expected.

St John South Island communications adviser Gerard Campbell said two people were transported to Lakes District Hospital.

On Saturday the same stretch of road was closed for four and a-half hours after a three-car collision at the intersection of State Highway 6A and Middleton Rd.

Queenstown resident Lochana Kulasiri was trapped in his vehicle by the crash and was flown to Dunedin Hospital in critical condition where he underwent surgery.

Snr Sgt Wilkinson said it was unusual to have two serious crashes on the same stretch of road in such a short space of time.

The Serious Crash Unit would investigate.