3 Jun 2021

Coroner encourages road upgrade after fatal crash

6:32 pm on 3 June 2021

A coroner is encouraging the upgrade of an uneven Wanaka road be prioritised following a fatal crash in 2016.

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File photo. Photo: RNZ

Jackson James Aitchison, 17, died after his car crashed head-on into a tree on Ballantyne Road on 10 October.

Coroner Windley noted in her findings that Ballantyne Road was understood to have a history of motor vehicle crashes.

At the time of the crash, Ballantyne Road was an unmarked road that transitioned between sealed and gravel with two speed limits.

She said the Queenstown Lakes District Council planned to upgrade the road to a fully sealed surface.

Coroner Windley requested the Officer of the Chief Coroner be informed once the works were completed.