Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s campaign bus was stopped by a car accident near Maitland. Picture: Jason Tin

Mr Shorten’s convoy — which included his car, a police car and a car driven by Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent — was travelling on Cessnock Road, Gillieston Heights, when another vehicle overtook them.

It’s believed the same vehicle collided with another car travelling in the opposite direction. Mr Shorten then left his vehicle to check on those involved.

He stayed by the side of a young woman and her child while ambulance personnel attended to an injured woman in a second vehicle.

Bill Shorten consoles the driver of a second car at Testers Hollow. Picture: NEWFM 1053Source:Supplied

A NSW Ambulance spokesman told news.com.au they were called to the scene shortly before 1pm.

“There were reports of two cars involved in an accident and we assisted three patients in total,” he said.

“One was a female in her 20s who was trapped for some time. She had facial injuries and pain her knee and shoulder abrasions. She was subsequently transported to John Hunter Hospital.”

He said the other two patients were assessed but did not require further assistance.

Pictures from the scene show two vehicles — one a white Mitsubishi Magna and the other a blue Nissan Pulsar — with significant front-end damage.

Two vehicles collided on a quiet road not far from Mr Shorten’s motorcade. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAPSource:AAP

Mr Shorten is pictured comforting a woman inside one of his government cars.

The Maitland Mercury reported Mr Shorten led the young woman and her child to his car where he spoke with her away from the scene for as many as 30 minutes.

Police said the woman, 33, and her son, 2, were found to be uninjured. Mr Shorten’s team used books to entertain and distract the child before offering them a lift home.

Cessnock Road is blocked in both directions and local traffic diversions are in place.

Mr Pynsent told AAP on Thursday afternoon that the stretch of road is “a trouble spot”.

“The reason we were there is it’s a problem to our local government area,” he said.

“It’s narrower than most of rest of the road and it has flooding issues.”

After Mr Shorten dropped off the woman and her child, she texted to say she was “okay”.

Earlier in the day, Mr Shorten was on the hustings in Campbelltown, in Sydney’s south west.

A spokesman for Mr Shorten confirmed he had cancelled the remainder of Thursday’s events.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was among first on scene at a head-on crash in Gillieston Heights. Picture Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia