Queenstown police are urging motorists to take extra care when driving around the Wakatipu basin as more residents were caught out by ice on Monday morning.
A Queenstown man driving on Frankton Rd towards the resort hit a large sheet of ice and slid off the road into a fence on Monday at 6.40am, Senior Constable Chris Blackford, of Queenstown, said yesterday. About 5m down the road shortly afterwards, a Queenstown woman driving in the same direction also lost control of her car. Neither person was injured. There was minor damage to the fence.
A 27-year-old Irish man living in Queenstown was driving towards Coronet Peak on Gorge Rd on Monday at 7.37am when his vehicle slid on ice and tipped over on to its side. The driver was able to get out uninjured.
On Monday, at 8am, a vehicle driven by a 38-year-old Queenstown man slid on black ice and rolled on State Highway 6, northeast of Victoria Bridge on the Cromwell-bound passing lane.
The man was uninjured and the incident was reported to Queenstown police station at 2.30pm.
A 52-year-old Queenstown woman lost control of her car on Domain Rd on Monday at 8.30am. The woman's car went through a fence, breaking a fence post and damaging a tree.
She was taken to the Lakes District Hospital with minor injuries.
No charges were expected to be laid against any of the drivers.
Snr Const Chris Blackford yesterday said motorists should not drive unless they absolutely had to, and should keep speed down and allow plenty of following distance from the vehicle in front, he said.
