Serious crash on Queen Charlotte Drive in Marlborough

A statement from the Marlborough District Council at 1.30pm said police were awaiting ‘‘vehicle recovery operations’’, and traffic could be stop-go at the site while the vehicle was recovered. All motorists were advised to access Queen Charlotte Drive from Picton until further notice.

A woman at the scene said it looked like the crash happened on a corner, and there did not appear to be any roadworks in the area. The vehicle looked to be something like a tractor, she said.

Queen Charlotte Drive was closed to the public for several weeks after a severe rainstorm caused large slips and damage to the hillside road on July 17.

The Marlborough District

Council declared a state of emergency, in order to make emergency repairs. The local recovery transition period was extended this month to end on November 17.

For two months the scenic thoroughfare was closed, with some residents forced to make long detours or hire boats for errands or business trips.

The Marlborough Roads Recovery Team fixed more than 100 faults on the road, and cleared slips as large as 3000 cubic metres, and reopened it to the public on September 21.

However, many residents in the outer Te Hoiere Pelorus Sound were still unable to use Queen Charlotte Drive to travel to Picton or Havelock. Their only connection to Queen Charlotte Drive, Kenepuru Rd, was still closed in places while repairs continued this month.

A Nelson Marlborough Health spokesperson said at 3pm yesterday there had not yet been a hospital admission linked to the crash.