A motorcyclist was seen overtaking on blind corners at high speed before slamming into a ute in a Cromwell crash, which left two dead.
The motorcyclist and the ute driver both died at the scene, which occurred in the Cromwell Gorge (State Highway8) about 5pm on Wednesday.
Yesterday, police confirmed there was a second person in the ute. A Hato Hone St John spokesman said the person was transported to Dunstan Hospital by road with minor injuries.
A driver told the Otago Daily Times she was in a queue of traffic travelling through the gorge towards Cromwell when she saw the motorcyclist rounding a blind corner.
"Here was the motorcyclist on our side of the road, trying to hoof it past a whole line of traffic.
"I don’t know what speed [they were] doing, but it was significant."
The motorcyclist ducked back on to their side of the road with less than two car lengths between the two queues of traffic, narrowly avoiding cars.
"It was pretty scary."
She continued towards Cromwell, but saw brake lights in her rear-view mirror.
"[I was] hoping that it wasn’t what I thought it was. And then, sure enough, when I came to come home — road’s closed.
The incident was sad, particularly for the families of the two people killed.
"There’s just no need ... for that sort of driving."
A police spokeswoman said police could not confirm the cause of the crash until an investigation had been completed.
"Inquiries into fatal crashes are complex and can take some time to complete."
■Police 105 (reference number 250213/5782) or Crimestoppers 0800 555-111. — Additional reporting Julie Asher
