Three different rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene of a multiple vehicle accident north of Taupo yesterday.

At around 1pm on Saturday the Rotorua-based BayTrust rescue helicopter, Taupo's Greenlea rescue helicopter, and the Waikato-based Westpac rescue helicopter were all called to the scene at Wairakei on State Highway 1.

There were several vehicles involved in the crash including a truck, motorbike, ute and minivan, and multiple patients.

There was a large response from the emergency services, with some people entrapped in their vehicles. State Highway 1 was closed as a result and allowed all three rescue helicopters to land on the road at the crash scene.

The Rotorua-based chopper flew two patients to Taupo hospital, then uplifted a third patient with serious injuries and flew the 24-year-old man from Palmerston North to Rotorua Hospital.

Both the Westpac rescue helicopter and the Greenlea rescue helicopter flew seriously injured patients to Waikato hospital.