A five-year-old girl has died and eight people are in hospital following a head-on crash on State Highway One, near Moeraki in North Otago.
Police said a ute with four occupants collided head-on with a station wagon with five people in it at about 4.50pm today.
There were two adults and three children in the station wagon, including the five-year-old who the police said died at the scene.
The others were taken to Dunedin Hospital with moderate to serious injuries.
The four occupants of the ute were taken to Oamaru Hospital with moderate injuries.
Police said one lane is now open.