A 23-year-old woman has died in a head-on collision which occurred at about 12.50pm this afternoon on State Highway 8 at Butcher's Dam, about 5km south of Alexandra in Central Otago.
The woman, a foreign national living in Wanaka, was killed instantly when the Toyota Caldina station wagon she was driving collided with a Holden Captiva four-wheel drive vehicle.
The 22-year-old female passenger in the Toyota, who is also a foreign national living in Wanaka, was taken to Dunstan Hospital with moderate injuries. She was cut free from the vehicle by the Fire Service.
The driver of the Captiva, a 62-year-old Cromwell man, was also trapped in his vehicle and had to be cut free by the Fire Service. He was also transported to Dunstan Hospital with moderate injuries.
The road conditions were dry, the weather fine and visibility good at the time of the crash.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that speed and alcohol were not factors in causing the crash. The initial scene examination indicates that one of the vehicles has crossed into the path of the other vehicle.
Police inquiries are continuing and it is hoped that the names of those involved may be released later tonight.
ENDS
Released by Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, Alexandra Police