Cars in middle of road cause bus crash

Photo / File

A bus carrying 20 passengers crashed on Milford Rd in Te Anau yesterday morning after the driver tried to avoid two parked cars in the middle of the road.

At 10am a 42-year-old Chinese male driving a Ford Focus with one passenger had stopped in the middle of the northbound lane when the bus came over a small hill in the road.

The Focus was travelling with a second vehicle with four adults and two children that were seeking an area to pull off the road to attend to a sick child.

It is understood that neither of the vehicles were indicating to pull left off the road.

The ALPS bus company driver pulled to the right to avoid hitting the two stopped vehicles and crossed the centre line before hitting a deer fence, causing moderate damage to the bus.

The crash occurred 10km north of Te Anau.

A female bus passenger received minor injury with abdominal pain believed to be caused by hitting the arm rest of her seat.

She was attended to at the scene by Te Anau St John Ambulance staff and did not require any further treatment.

Te Anau Police and Fire Service also attended the accident.

Western Southland Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley said had the bus driver not pulled over to the right the situation would have been "extremely serious".

"The injuries would have been far more serious."

She said alcohol was not a factor and the weather at the time was fine.