The scene of the crash, northwest of Timaru. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns
The names of three people killed in a crash near Geraldine in April have been released by police.
They were Sherwin Chong Shi Yun, 21, Xinyue Yang, 21, and Jia Jun Vincent Lim, 24. All were from Singapore.
They people died when a campervan collided with a barrier and caught fire after 1am on 17 April, along State Highway 79's Geraldine-Fairlie Highway, northwest of Timaru, near the intersection with Te Moana Road and Earl Road.
Their deaths have been referred to the coroner.
Geraldine ward councillor Gavin Oliver told RNZ after the accident it was a "notorious piece of road".
"It's the main highway between Christchurch and Queenstown, carries all the traffic that is heading down that way, and it's busy with trucks… I think it's probably time the government look at some improvements, particularly at that intersection."
So far in 2023 there have been 115 deaths on the roads - fewer than at the same time last year, but more than in 2020 and 2021.