Professor to watch over road tests in Possum Bourne case

A mechanical engineering expert from Canterbury University is to oversee road testing this week for police investigating the crash that killed Possum Bourne near Wanaka last April.

Otago rural police area controller Inspector Phil Jones said the professor would oversee and review the tests under police supervision.

Police would conduct about four hours of filming and road tests on Waiorau Snow Farm Rd, in the Cardrona Valley between Wanaka and Queenstown, using a 2002 Subaru Legacy Forester and a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee borrowed from local owners.

Last week, the Wanaka-based officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Derek Shaw, appealed to the public to lend the police vehicles identical to those involved in the collision.

Mr Jones said the police were grateful for the good response they had received to that call.

Kingston man Mike Barltrop has been charged with dangerous driving causing Bourne's death.

A pre-trial arraignment has been set down for February 20 in Invercargill District Court.

- NZPA