Gone in 90 minutes: Three foreign drivers nabbed driving 148kph-180kph

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Three foreign drivers have been nabbed at excessive speeds, with all losing the right to drive in New Zealand.

A police patrol clocked the first driver at 180kph on State Highway 8 between Omarama and Twizel on Wednesday around noon.

That driver, who was from Japan, is understood to have arrived in New Zealand on the same day.

“He was trying to get to Queenstown to see the sights before it gets dark,” Senior Sergeant Karl Hemmingsen said.

The driver had now lost his licence, and faces a court appearance over the dangerous speed.

That was one of the highest speeds in an area, which had been impacted by snow in recent days, Hemmingsen said.

All three drivers were nabbed by Senior Constable Dan Bartlett, of Oamaru, who regularly patrols the area.

Within 90 minutes he had caught two other drivers, one from Indonesia and the other from Hong Kong, who were both recent arrivals to the country.

In the case of the Indonesian driver, an unrestrained child was also spotted in the vehicle, Hemmingsen said.

Both those drivers were clocked at 148kph, which earns a $610 infringement notice and an automatic loss of licence.

Hemmingsen said the speeding motorists were initially confused when they saw an unmarked car approach them under lights and sirens.

In all three cases, the rental car companies were contacted, with the rental contracts terminated.

That meant all of the tourists would have to find alternative transport options during their New Zealand stay.

Police said they made no apologies for catching motorists driving at excessive speeds, as it was well known that the “faster you are going, the greater the impact”.