Police, ambulance and fire officers attended the accident which occurred shortly after 11pm on Saturday night.

Two women, travelling northbound on Paterson Street, avoided serious injury when the 22-year old-driver allegedly lost control of her Holden Commodore after swerving to avert a collision with a vehicle which had turned into her lane from a side street.

Witnesses said the car skidded sideways onto the median strip, collected the light pole, and came spinning to a halt on the southbound lane in front of Barkly Butchers.

They said it appeared as though the driver of the car which turned on to Paterson Street from Memorial Drive misjudged the speed of the oncoming car.

The occupants, two police officers heading home after completing the afternoon shift, were uninjured.

They stopped to render assistance at the scene.

The two young women received precautionary treatment from ambulance officers and were taken to the Tennant Creek Hospital where they were tended to for minor abrasions.

Tennant Creek Superintendent Bruce Porter said speed and alcohol are being examined as factors in the crash and the driver will be summonsed to appear in the local court.

Power and Water workers spent many hours securing the light pole fittings which had become an electrical hazard.