Manslaughter charge over Arrowtown butcher's death

A Mount Pisa man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of Royalburn Station's head butcher in a crash near Arrowtown.

Hayden Richard Hurst, 28, was originally 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 then laid a charge of drug-impaired driving causing death alleging Hurst was impaired by ecstasy.

The charge has now been upgraded to manslaughter, police said in a statement today.

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 is remanded on bail to appear in Queenstown District Court on March 11.