Person named after Kawarau River fatal crash in Otago

Friday, 22 May 2020

Police have named the person who died after their car plunged into the Kawarau River on Tuesday.

He was 59-year-old John Robert Howard, of Queenstown.

Further inquiries were underway to determine the circumstances of what happened, a police release said.

The Police National Dive Squad recovered the body on Wednesday evening after the vehicle crashed down a steep bank into the Kawarau River on State Highway 6 the previous night.

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Otago Lakes Central area commander Olaf Jensen said police believed the person was the sole occupant of the car, but inquiries were continuing to confirm this.

The vehicle has also been retrieved from the Kawarau River and the coroner has been notified.

The dive squad arrived at the scene on Wednesday to help search the river for the driver and any possible passengers.

A witness at the recovery scene said a man's body was retrieved from vehicle.

The vehicle was found partially submerged in the Kawarau River more than 12 hours after it came off a remote rural road in the dark.

Motorists found crash debris on the roadside near Victoria Flats about 6.40pm on Tuesday.