A French national is facing four charges of careless driving causing injury after a head-on crash near Butcher’s Dam on January 3.

Alexandra Police Acting Sergeant Graham Perkins said the female driver coming from Roxburgh allegedly missed the turnoff to Conroys and carried on along State Highway 8, before making a U-turn and driving back along the road on the right hand side.

When she approached the corner to turn off, her vehicle hit a Toyota Hiace carrying a family from Invercargill and their eight year old, who had to be airlifted to Dunstan and Dunedin hospitals.

The family were now recovering at home, but the passenger in the other vehicle driven by the female was still in intensive care with a broken femur and lower leg, along with internal injuries. 

Acting Sgt Perkins said the driver had been in the country for a while but had a momentary lapse of concentration where she forgot what side of the road to drive on.

He said there had been many reports of particularly overseas drivers also not adhering to the speed limit, including one driver near Tarras who was clocked at 150 km/hr.

“It has just been incredible the number of tourists driving at excessive speeds,” he said.

Unnecessary overtaking was another common factor on the roads over the Christmas and New Year period, including the Devil’s Staircase where, fortunately, drivers were picked up on dash cams.