A volunteer fireman says a woman is lucky to be alive after crashing her car down a bank near Nelson, where she was trapped for a day.
File pic Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The woman's car plunged off the road and into thick scrub while she was on her way to Christchurch on Wednesday morning.
An observant truck driver alerted police to a possible crash site, and an officer found skid marks leading to the car yesterday afternoon.
Tapawera Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Dean Millar said rescuers had to slash their way through brambles to reach her.
"She'd got herself out of the car but just couldn't get out of where she was, out of the scrub.
"She was very lucky. It was a good result and everyone is happy with all the carnage that has happened on the roads over this holiday break."
The woman was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.