Driver in Arrowtown butcher's death high on drugs, court told

A Mount Pisa man charged over the death Royalburn Station's head butcher in a crash near Arrowtown was driving while impaired by ecstasy, police allege.

Hayden Richard Hurst, 28, was charged with drink-driving causing the death of Outrega (Tré) Anderson about 7.30am on December 16 near Arrow Junction on State Highway 6.

Police have now laid a charge of drug-impaired driving causing death.

Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $20,000 fine.

Court documents say Hurst, who was seriously injured in the two-car collision, had a blood-alcohol level of 131mg. The legal limit is 50mg.

Mr Anderson was employed as the head butcher at Royalburn Station, owned by Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie.

Hurst did not appear, or seek name suppression, at the first call of his matter in the Queenstown District Court on January 29.

He was remanded without plea by a court registrar to appear on March 25.