A 23-year-old Cromwell woman's fears became a reality when the car she was driving slid on ice in the Kawarau Gorge last night, as she was shifting house to Queenstown to avoid the treacherous commute.
The woman, who works in Queenstown, was moving there from Cromwell when her car hit a road barrier and crossed to the other side of State Highway 6 at 5.20pm.
Constable Paddy Henderson, of Cromwell, said the woman was transported to Frankton Hospital with possible back injuries.
She had become wary of driving through the gorge from Cromwell to Queenstown for work, and had decided to relocate, he said.
The crash was one of several in the Queenstown Lakes area last night.
Between 4.30pm and 8.30pm police were called to attend four incidents - two near the Roaring Meg power station in the Kawarau Gorge, one along the Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Rd and another on the Crown Range between Queenstown and Wanaka.
About 4.30pm a vehicle on the Crown Range slid and hit a bank, causing one occupant to seek medical assessment for a sore neck.
At 5.50pm a van slid off Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Rd but there were no reports of injury, and at 8.10pm a car slid on ice near the Roaring Meg.
The occupants of the car were also uninjured.
Police reiterated the need for motorists to be careful in winter conditions.
