Highway re-opens: One dead in Cromwell Gorge crash

Update 4.30pm: The New Zealand Transport Agency has confirmed the highway was re-opened at 4.25pm.

One person was killed in a three-vehicle crash in the Cromwell Gorge this morning.

Police say the person was found dead at the scene.

Two trucks and a car were involved in the incident, on State Highway 8 between Cromwell and Clyde.

One of the truck drivers sustained a minor injury and was assessed at the scene.

The road remains closed, with significant detours the only option for motorists wanting to travel between the two destinations.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says closure points are in place just east of Cromwell, after Deadman's Point Bridge, and just north of Clyde, near Sutherland Street.

It expects the highway to remain closed for several hours and says another route via State Highways 8, 90, 94, 6 and 8B will take drivers approximately two-and-a-half hours.

Police are advising motorists delay travel through the area, and warn a detour via Hawksburn Road from Clyde to Bannockburn is narrow and unsuitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles. They do not recommend the route as an alternative to the highway.

The Serious Crash Unit and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team are conducting an investigation to determine what went wrong.

The crash occurred approximately five kilometres east of Cromwell, near the Cromwell Gorge Picnic Area.

Main image (Google): State Highway 8 through the Cromwell Gorge, linking Cromwell and Clyde.