A third person has died in hospital after a two-car crash near Blenheim yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 1 near Redwood Pass at around 10.40am.

Hato Hone St John said it responded with four helicopters, three ambulances, two managers and a Major Incident Support Team vehicle.

Two people were airlifted to Wellington Hospital while the third was taken to Christchurch Hospital.

Police yesterday confirmed that two people had passed away.

And this morning, police said in a statement: “Sadly, despite best efforts by medical professionals, a third person has since passed away.”

The two other injured remain in hospital in a serious and critical condition.

The police Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination and the road has since reopened.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash remain ongoing, police say.

A spokesman from nearby Riverlands-based business Tinto Containers yesterday said there was a long line of traffic being turned away by emergency services.

“By the looks of it, they’re [drivers] not being allowed to continue south on State Highway 1. It’s blocked off just before the turnoff to Redwood Pass Rd.”

The spokesman said it wasn’t uncommon to see emergency services scream past the area.