A British tourist has renewed his call for action from rental companies after receiving a heartfelt apology from the Chinese driver who hit him head-on in a crash near Queenstown.
Paul Whitmell, a chartered accountant from Cambridge, remains in Dunedin Hospital recovering from serious injuries after the rental car he was driving on Gibbston Highway two weeks ago was struck by another driven on the wrong side of the road by tourist Qian Li (35).
Mr Whitmell said he was grateful to receive a letter yesterday from Ms Li expressing her sincere apologies to him and his wife Rosie, who was now staying in a hotel after initially being flown by helicopter to Southland Hospital.
However, he renewed his call for more guidance from rental car companies after learning from Ms Qi's lawyer that, much like him, she received no guidance from her company about New Zealand road rules.
In Ms Qi's letter, which was translated into English by a woman she is staying with in Arrowtown while she awaits sentencing for careless driving, she said she was ''truly sorry'' for the pain and hurt she had caused.
''I have shamed my family, and put a financial burden on them. I want to take this opportunity to wish you both a quick recovery from the injuries sustained in the car accident,'' she said.
A driver of four years in China, Ms Qi, who was travelling with a friend at the time of the crash, was still unsure how she lost control.
''I was not distracted in any way, was not talking to my friend, neither was I on my cellphone. I can only think that I hit the gravel on the left-hand side and over-corrected my steering wheel into the path of your vehicle.''
Ms Qi's lawyer said it was likely her retired parents' life savings would need to be brought to New Zealand as a result of the crash.
Mr Whitmell said had Ms Qi been shown a video about New Zealand road rules and conditions by the rental company, the crash might not have happened.
He repeated his call made earlier on television programme Campbell Live for Prime Minister John Key or another government MP to visit him and the Marris family, which lost 5-year-old Ruby Jay Marris in a crash near Moeraki involving a tourist, to hear their concerns.
Mr Whitmell was not happy with a spokesman for Mr Key saying he had received no formal invitation.
''What does he want me to do - write with a broken hand?''
He was unsure when he would be discharged from hospital, but it was ''wonderful'' to be reunited with his wife.
Mrs Whitmell was also glad to see her husband again and believed the reunion was helping with his recovery.
''Since he has seen me and I have been coming to visit, he seems to be a lot better.''
She fully supported his campaign for better controls around foreign drivers.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister issued a statement saying he extended his sympathy to the Whitmell and Marris families.
On the issue of meeting them she said: ''The Prime Minister hasn't been formally invited to meet with the Whitmell and Marris families.''
The Government recognised many people were concerned with poor driving on roads in and around popular tourist destinations, particularly in the lower South Island.
This was the reason why it was extending the Visiting Drivers Signature Project, aimed to provide overseas visitors with all the tools and information needed to keep themselves and others safe on New Zealand's roads, the statement said.
