Police can confirm a third person has died from their injuries in hospital following a two-car fatal crash in Sefton yesterday.

One person in each vehicle died at the scene, while a third person – a second occupant of one of the vehicles – was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

That person sadly died in Christchurch Hospital overnight.

The deaths from yesterday’s crash come after another fatal crash in the Sefton area on Friday, involving a car and a school bus.

The two occupants of that car sadly died at the scene.

Canterbury Rural Area Commander Inspector Peter Cooper says five families’ lives have been turned upside down in the space of a weekend.

“This is an incredibly sad blow to not only the families of the deceased, but to all those affected in a small community – which includes the attending emergency services, some of whom would have attended both crashes,” he says.

While the exact causes of the crashes remain under investigation, Inspector Cooper says there was poor weather conditions in the area at the time of Sunday’s crash.

“It’s a very sad reminder to people of the importance of taking care every single time you get behind the wheel.”

© Scoop Media