Elderly city woman cut out of crash car

An elderly Tauranga woman had to be cut from her car after it left the highway and ploughed into bushes.

The 76-year-old was travelling towards Barkes Corner on State Highway 29 when the crash happened about 10.40am yesterday.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing Sergeant Wayne Hunter said it was unclear why the crash occurred.

"Witnesses who were following her said the driver was only doing about 55 kilometres before she just went off the road," Mr Hunter said.

"They didn't notice anything unusual, she just drove around the corner and kept going."

Firefighters used the jaws of life to cut the back door off the car to reach the driver.

"We didn't know if she was injured so they cut the door off as a precaution," Mr Hunter said.

A spokesperson from Tauranga St John said the woman was taken to Tauranga Hospital with minor injuries. Tests would determine if the crash was caused by a medical incident, Mr Hunter said.

Meanwhile, an ambulance from Tauranga St John took a 21-year-old man to hospital following a separate crash on SH29 yesterday afternoon.

A St John spokesperson said the man sustained shoulder injuries.