Driver of ute died in crash with bus on SH8
Otago man John Alexander Deans has been named as the person who died in a Central Otago crash on Wednesday.
Deans, 78, from Ettrick, was the driver of a four-wheel-drive ute that collided with a bus on State Highway 8 near Roxburgh about 2pm.
He was the sole occupant of the ute and died at the scene. Four people, travelling on a Bottom Bus heading for Queenstown, were seriously injured in the crash.
They were flown to Dunedin Hospital, where they remained in a stable condition and were ‘‘progressing favourably’’ yesterday, a spokeswoman said.
Ten people, including seven British nationals, were on the distinctive green bus on a trip around the deep south at the time of the crash. The other three passengers were also foreign nationals.
Headfirst Travel owner Ralph Davies, whose company operates Bottom Bus, declined to comment on the crash, which happened at a bend on a passing lane.
The company’s website states its most popular tour out of Queenstown is a three-day trip covering Milford Sound, the Catlins and Dunedin, returning to Queenstown.
A person at the crash scene who helped two injured women from the bus said: ‘‘They were really upset and in a lot of pain. I just tried to keep them calm and kept them still on the ground. One was badly injured. She had hurt her pelvis and hip.’’
A police spokeswoman said an investigation into the cause of the crash was continuing.
Anyone who has not yet spoken to police and has information that may be of assistance is asked to contact Alexandra police by calling (03) 440 2500, extension 34400. before