A coroner has found a tourist who died in a crash on State highway 6 at Mahinapua on December 11, 2017, became distracted and crossed the centreline into the path of an oncoming campervan.
Kai Yuan Seow was driving north when his vehicle crossed the centreline, and collided with a campervan in the oncoming lane.
Mr Seow died at the scene, due to a head injury.
According to Coroner Marcus Elliott, Mr Seow's vehicle was travelling at 108kph and the vehicle crossed the centreline because Mr Seow was distracted.
Mr Elliott said in his report, released this week, that Mr Seow was not watching the road and the vehicle crossed the centreline into the path of the oncoming campervan.
Mr Seow (29), was visiting New Zealand with his partner. They arrived in the country on December 2 and had hired a Toyota vehicle for their trip. Mr Seow was the sole driver of the vehicle for the couple's trip.
The man's partner told police that on December 19, she and Mr Seow travelled from Queenstown to Haast where they stayed the night.
"We stopped at Lake Mathieson and did the shortest walk which was about 35-40 minutes. We bought a hot drink each at the cafe before leaving. We would have left Lake Mathieson about 9am.
"Kai was driving. We stopped in Franz Josef and did another short walk. When we left it was about 11am.
"I was taking lots of photos of scenery as we were driving. We planned to have lunch at Stella's Cafe in Hokitika. The roads were quiet," she told police.
She told police she was trying to take a photograph when "all of a sudden there was a massive impact".
The driver of the campervan, a Dutch visitor, told police he did not recall a car coming towards him.
"Suddenly there was a car on my side of the road coming towards me. It was so short I had no time to turn. We crashed and my van was smashed on to its left and skidded along."
The driver of a car following behind the campervan said he noticed a red car approaching in the opposite lane when it suddenly crossed the centreline.
He said that the red car went about half a car width into the wrong side of the road.
"It went into the path of the campervan I was following and collided with the campervan.
"It happened very quickly."
Tasman police serious crash investigator senior constable Simon Burberry said the crash occurred on a straight, flat piece of road and conditions were good.
"Had driver fatigue been the main factor it would be expected there would be no evidence of avoidance action.
"Instead, the change in alignment immediately before the impact supports an initial period of distraction followed by awareness, rather than possible
fatigue."
