Senior Sergeant Deirdre Lack is the Western Bay of Plenty police officer seriously hurt in a head-on collision north of Te Puke early Wednesday. She is in surgery at Tauranga Hospital.

Senior Sergeant Deirdre Lack is the police woman injured in an early morning collision on State Highway 2 near Te Puke.

Police district communications manager Jacky James says police will not officially name her until her condition is known after surgery.

Both Deirdre and the 19 year old man driving the other vehicle suffered serious multiple injuries in crash, which happened at about 5am on a bend north of the Manoeka Road intersection with State Highway 2.

Both drivers were left trapped in their vehicles and the highway was blocked for several hours while emergency services worked to free the drivers. Traffic flow was restored at about 8am after the wreckage was removed.

The police serious crash investigation team is in attendance at the scene this morning, and a senior police officer from outside the Western Bay of Plenty Police area is appointed to oversee the investigation, says Western Bay of Plenty Police Area Commander Inspector Mike Clement.

Read more on this incident here.