Chinese tourist charged over 2 deaths in New Zealand

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Police on Tuesday charged a young Chinese national with causing the deaths of two men in a car crash on a remote South Island road on Monday.

The 20-year-old Chinese woman, who was in New Zealand as a visitor, had been receiving treatment for injuries she sustained in the crash, but she was due to appear in the Alexandra District Court later Tuesday, said Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, of Alexandra police.

The woman, who has not been named, was driving southwards along the Lindis Pass, in the Otago region, when her Nissan sedan was involved in a collision with two motorcycles, which were part of a group of 8 to 10 bikes traveling in the opposite direction.

Two men, aged 43 and 54, on the motorcycles died in the crash and an injured female pillion passenger was in a critical condition in Dunedin Hospital on Tuesday, Kerrisk said in a statement.

Police had charged the Chinese woman with two counts of careless driving causing death, and further charges were likely to follow, he said.

While police had a clear picture of what occurred, they were still seeking witnesses who could describe the driving behavior of both groups involved prior to the crash.

Alcohol was not suspected to be a factor in the crash.

Police, including the Police Serious Crash Investigator, were continuing to work on the investigation, he said.