St John are "devastated" after losing one of their own in a crash yesterday, and say the dead ambulance officer was a "well-respected and long-serving member of the Hato Hone St John whānau".
The officer and the sole occupant of the other vehicle both died following a crash on Tirau Rd in Cambridge around 3:40am yesterday.
A nurse who was travelling in the ambulance with the officer is in a stable condition in Waikato Hospital.
The ambulance officer served Hato Hone St John for 55 years. Their link to the organisation beginning in 1967 in the Youth Division.
"The family have requested privacy at this time, therefore Hato Hone St John will not be releasing any names," said Dan Ohs, Hato Hone St John deputy chief executive of ambulance operations.
"However, what we can confirm is that the ambulance officer was a well-respected and long-serving member of the Hato Hone St John whānau.
"While their primary role was within the Patient Transfer Service, they were also active in their support of both Event Health Services and Emergency Ambulance.
"In recognition of their service, they were admitted to the Order of St John as a Member (MStJ) in 2004."
Ohs said the officer died in Waikato Hospital on Wednesday afternoon after "a brave fight" with family by their side. He said the officer was from Rotorua, and was travelling from Hamilton to Rotorua when the head-on collision occurred.
READ MORE: Ambulance driver one of two dead in Cambridge crash
"They are one of a very small number of ambulance officers to lose their life in the line of duty in New Zealand in the last 80 years.
"Meanwhile, our focus remains on supporting our people and the police with their ongoing investigations into the crash."
On RNZ's Morning Report on Thursday, Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good said the stretch of road where the crash occurred is "an accident waiting to happen".
He said there had been 32 deaths or serious injuries in the area since 2017.
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