An overseas driver who crashed after reportedly falling asleep at the wheel near Queenstown on Thursday will appear in court next week.
Sergeant Keith Newell, of Queenstown, said the two-car collision on the Glenorchy-Queenstown road ‘‘could very easily have been a fatal’’.
He would not confirm the driver’s nationality or their gender, but said they were travelling towards Queenstown when the crash happened on a blind corner about 5.45pm. Both cars were believed to be rentals.
"An overseas driver ... has fallen asleep at the wheel and had a head-on collision with another vehicle driven by an American tourist," Sgt Newell said.
The driver was charged with two counts of careless driving causing injury, Sgt Newell said.
The two people in the other car suffered seatbelt bruising. The accused will appear in court on January 4.
It was the second crash police attended on Thursday. The first happened at 5.15pm when a woman fell off her bicycle in Fernhill Rd.
The 22-year-old was found on the road by a passing motorist, who contacted emergency services. She was biking downhill without a helmet at the time.
She "fell off pretty hard", Sgt Newell said.She was taken to Lakes District Hospital, but had since been discharged.
