Two Taiwanese tourists were lucky to escape without serious injuries after their rental car crossed the flood-free highway south of Dunedin and came to rest down the bank on the opposite side of the road, Southern District Command Centre deployment co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Dave Scott said.
The pair, aged in their 30s, were taken to Dunedin Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Their rental car was extensively damaged. It appeared the car had drifted to the left, then turned hard right, crossing State Highway 1, he said.
''The oncoming traffic saw what was happening and slowed down so there was not a head-on [collision].''
Police were investigating the accident.
