There were lucky escapes for people involved in road crashes on Friday last week.
It comes as the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade reaches the end of one of its busiest years yet.
About 2.40pm on Friday, the cab of a large sixwheeler truck was destroyed when the driver lost control on a shingle road and went through trees into a farmer’s property at Pendarves.
Chief Jeff Marshall said it was fortunate the driver’s side of the cab ‘‘snuck through’’ a small gap in the trees, saving the driver.
‘‘He was out by the time we got there,’’ Marshall said.
A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said the service responded to the Winters Rd/Buckleys Rd crash with one ambulance.
One patient was assessed and transported to Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition.
Marshall said on Tuesday there had so far been about 420 callouts in 2025 for the brigade’s urban division, and about 30 for its rural division.
He expected these numbers could respectively reach about 445 and 40 by the end of the year.
He had yet to compare the figures to previous years, but believed it was shaping up to be one of the brigade’s busiest years.
‘‘That’s a massive year for us,’’ Marshall said.
Meanwhile, a caravan being towed, travelling north, along State Highway 1, crashed with a van full of people travelling in the opposite direction.
The crash happened in passing lanes south of Chertsey about 11.10pm.
Rakaia Volunteer Fire Brigade members attended the crash.
Chief Tyrone Burrowes said it was fortunate injuries were not more serious considering the open road speed limit on the highway.
The Hato Hone St John spokesperson said it responded with two ambulances.
‘‘Thirteen patients were assessed at the scene, with one transported to Christchurch Hospital in a moderate condition.’’
Police said inquiries into the circumstance of the crash were ongoing.
The torn apart caravan remained on the side of the highway on Tuesday, where it appears to have become targeted by graffiti vandals.
