Flipped car sits for days on Queenstown-Cromwell highway

As of Thursday evening, a car remains flipped upside down and resting on the side of State Highway 6 between Queenstown and Cromwell days after crashing there.

The silver Toyota was involved in a crash approximately two kilometres from the Nevis Bluff on Tuesday night.

A police spokesperson says it is the responsibility of the owner, or a local authority, to remove the vehicle, rather than police.

The flipped car crashed on Tuesday night, and remains in place on Thursday evening, September 12, 2024.

They say they were alerted to the crash at approximately 11.45pm on Tuesday, and emergency services attended the scene.

A spokesperson for Hato Hone St John says two ambulances were required to transport two people to Queenstown's Lakes District Hospital.

One patient had minor injuries and the other, moderate, the spokesperson says.

The Citizens Advice Bureau advises in the first instance it is the responsibility of a vehicle's owner to arrange for a vehicle to be towed if it has been damaged in a crash.

Some motor vehicle insurance policies will cover the cost, it says.

"If your insurance does not cover this service you will have to pay to have your vehicle towed away."

It recommends people remove any valuables from a vehicle too.

Meanwhile on the edge of State Highway 6, personal items are scattered across the ground close to the abandoned car, while a back passenger door has been left open.

There is a strong fuel smell at the scene.