Girl, 9, still critical after crash in rural Canterbury

A 9-year-old girl remains in a critical condition three days after a car crashed into a power pole in rural Canterbury.

Three people were injured in the crash on Old West Coast Rd, between Cooks Rd and Addingtons Rd, near Darfield about

9.30am on Saturday. The Westpac Rescue helicopter flew the girl to hospital in a critical condition along with two other people.

Sergeant Phil Bayne said yesterday the girl remained in a critical but stable condition.

The serious crash unit continued to investigate.

Also on Saturday, an 18-yearold was lucky to avoid injuries when he crashed into a power pole in Leeston. Bayne said the teen was driving south on Leeston Rd, between Hanmer Rd and Brookside & Irwell Rd, about

4.45pm when he overtook three vehicles.

As he was overtaking, a

59-year-old woman driving the front car indicated to turn right down Brookside & Irwell Rd, clipping the teen’s car, sending it into a power pole.

The teen was breaching the conditions of his restricted licence by having a 17-year-old unauthorised passenger.

An investigation into the crash was ongoing, but Bayne said the youth was lucky to suffer no injuries.

‘‘The fact that all occupants of the vehicles were wearing seatbelts played a huge part in their being no injuries.’’