Tourist couple escapes injury

A 33-year-old Korean driver and his Korean wife escaped injury when the rental Nissan car he was driving rolled down an embankment off the Kawarau Gorge Rd and came to a stop on its side yesterday at 3.45pm.

The Queenstown-bound couple parked on the left-hand gravel shoulder of a gently downhill section of State Highway 6, south of Roaring Meg, 43km from the resort, to consume non-alcoholic drinks ''and for some reason failed to brake,'' Sergeant Simon Paget, of Cromwell, said at the scene.

As the car was being hauled on to a flatbed recovery truck, Sgt Paget said the tourist would be forbidden from driving.

It was to be decided whether the driver would be dealt with by way of infringement, or prosecution.