Two taken to hospital following crash on Orari Bridge near Geraldine

Two people who sustained moderate injuries in a crash on Orari Bridge where one of the vehicles caught fire were taken to hospital on Saturday night. Road closures were in place for about an hour-and-a-half following a two-car collision on the State Highway 79 bridge, about six kilometres north of Geraldine, at 8.15pm. While one of the cars caught fire nobody in either vehicle was trapped, a police spokeswoman said. A St John spokeswoman said an ambulance transported two patients with moderate injuries to Ashburton Hospital, while a third person sustained minor injuries. READ MORE: * Overhaul of Geraldine's traffic system going out for public feedback * Crash survivor welcomes $2.3 million upgrade to dangerous intersection, remembers man who cared for him * Orari Bridge on SH79 near Geraldine re-opened after crash The Geraldine Community Board has campaigned for the single-lane bridge to be widened to two lanes amid concerns about the safety of motorists and cyclists. However, such a project is the responsibility of the NZ Transport Agency, which told the board in September there are many other State Highway priority projects around the country and limited funding .