Six ambulance crews rushed to the corner of Porcupine Lane and the New England Highway, Kootingal, after reports a van had hit the side of a Nissan Patrol at 11.45am.

A spokesperson for NSW ambulance said four people were injured in the crash, one of them with serious injuries. All four have been taken to Tamworth hospital.

A fifth person was assessed at the scene by paramedics but wasn't taken to hospital.

Three people were trapped in their cars for about half an hour before being extricated by paramedics with the assistance of crews from Fire and Rescue NSW and bystanders.

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They were extricated by 12.15pm, the NSW ambulance spokesperson said.

One patient suffered a head injury, and is in a serious condition, in Tamworth hospital.

The driver of the van, a man in his 30s, was trapped in his vehicle, but was removed by paramedics and bystanders. A NSW ambulance spokesperson said he was complaining of cervical pain and upper back pain but is considered to be in a stable condition.

A man his his 20s was trapped in the van and was left with abrasions to his chest and abdominal pain and is in a stable condition.

A female teenager with pelvic and upper leg pain and arm injuries to her left elbow has been transported to Tamworth hospital in a stable condition.

The ambulance NSW spokesperson said the service dispatched six crews to the scene, including a specialist medical team with a doctor and a critical care paramedic on board.

Police, the Rural Fire Service, and two trucks from Fire and Rescue NSW station 448 South Tamworth also responded to the incident.

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