An Australian woman remained in a serious but stable condition in Dunedin Hospital's intensive care unit last night, after a head-on collision between two vehicles on a one-lane bridge near Tarras on Thursday.
The woman and her husband were travelling south towards Queenstown, when the accident happened on State Highway 8, at the bridge over the Lindis River.
They collided with a vehicle containing a Central Otago couple, Sergeant Bruce Martin, of Alexandra, said.
Both couples were in their 60s or 70s.
The Australian woman, whose name has not been released, was a passenger and received serious injuries. The roof of the rental car she was in had to be removed to get her out, Sgt Martin said.
She and her husband were airlifted to Dunedin in the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
Her husband received moderate injuries and was progressing favourably last night in the coronary care unit in Dunedin Hospital.
The Central Otago couple received moderate injuries and were admitted to Dunstan Hospital at Clyde on Thursday. No information about their condition was available yesterday.
Sgt Martin, of the Alexandra-based rural drink-drive squad, and his team was heading to Tarras to set up a checkpoint on Thursday afternoon and was among the first at the accident scene.
"The public have been marvellous today [Thursday]. The man who was first in line for the bridge directed traffic for about one and a-half hours. Another, an off-duty St John officer, helped out and another member of the public comforted the [Central Otago] couple."
An investigation into the crash was still under way, but alcohol was not a factor, he said.
Fire crews from Cromwell, Luggate and Tarras attended the accident.
Sgt Martin said from previous cases he had seen, scenery could be a distraction for some drivers, especially tourists.
"If you want to look at the scenery, pull over and stop. When travelling, concentrate on driving ... that distraction, however momentary, could be the cause of a crash, fatal or otherwise."
