One person has died following a serious two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 at Parnassus Road, north of Spotswood in Canterbury, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Emergency services were called to the scene around 7:30 a.m. after reports of a collision involving a truck and another vehicle, which resulted in a truck fire and a person trapped.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews extinguished the blaze, and the trapped person was freed, but one person was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, pending family notification.
SH1 was closed between Parnassus Road and Spotswood Road for several hours while police conducted a scene examination and the Serious Crash Unit investigated. Motorists were advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
Police have appealed for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to contact them. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
