‘‘The beautiful view is very dangerous.''
So said Ralph Feng (35), automotive company manager, from Shanghai, yesterday, moments after being charged with careless use of a vehicle causing injury.
Mr Feng, who is in New Zealand on his honeymoon, was the driver of a Toyota Highlander four-wheel-drive rental vehicle involved in a collision with a motorcycle on State Highway 6 near Lake Hawea, about 3.30pm.
The crash happened near the Neck, between Lake Hawea and Makarora, on the road next to a scenic lookout and not far from a sign warning motorcyclists to ‘‘take care'' because the winding stretch of road had a high crash rate.
The motorcyclist, from the West Coast, is understood to have broken his leg in the crash and was flown from the scene by a Lakes District Air Rescue Trust helicopter.
Wanaka police sub-area commander Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell, who went to the crash scene, said the motorcyclist was travelling north towards Haast Pass ‘‘at a moderate sort of speed, not excessive''.
The rental car, travelling south, ‘‘crossed the centre line'' to enter the Boundary Creek scenic reserve lookout, which looks out over Lake Wanaka, Snr Sgt Grindell said.
‘‘[The driver] hasn't seen the oncoming motorcyclist and the motorcyclist had nowhere to go. He's run into the side of the car.''
A visibly upset Mr Feng showed the Otago Daily Times the charge sheet and said he was shaken and ‘‘very scared''.
He and his wife were six days into their 15-day New Zealand honeymoon, and were travelling yesterday from Fox Glacier to Queenstown.
Mr Feng said he saw cars stopped at the lookout and decided to pull in to get another photo for the couple's wedding album.
His speed was ‘‘very slow'' and he had not seen the motorcycle until it was too late.
‘‘I didn't mean to hurt him. I just wanted to get a nice photo.''
Mr Feng said he had been driving since 2008 and was quite used to the heavy traffic of Shanghai.
