A Timaru woman took the law into her own hands on Christmas Day, performing a citizen's arrest after a foreign driver attempted a foolhardy overtake on a blind corner.
Stonewood Homes director Amy Hollamby was heading off on holiday with her family when she witnessed the incident on State Highway 8, about 10km south of Tekapo.
Ms Hollamby said witnessing the act of "atrocious driving" was the most scared she's ever been on the road.
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"We were in a line of traffic, two cars in front of me and one behind," she told Newshub.
"We were being slowed by a bus in front - it was traveling about 90km/h, nothing too slow - and I wasn't worried about passing as I know the road very well and know it's not safe to pass.
"Then I look in my rear vision mirror and see a black car pull out to pass me. I said to my husband, 'Holy shit, a car is passing here'. My heart was in my throat - I watched in horror as she continued to pass all three of us and the bus on the blind corner.
"All I was thinking was, 'I am going to witness a serious head-on crash'. Luckily there was no car coming in the other direction."
Ms Hollamby's family and two other carloads of people that witnessed the dangerous driving, went about performing a citizen's arrest on the woman who'd carried out the manoeuvre.
"We followed the car and at Tekapo, she pulled into the shops. We road blocked her with our cars so she couldn't drive off," she said.
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"One of the drivers of the other cars went to the police station across the road and the policeman, who was off duty enjoying his Christmas Day with his family, came over and asked a few questions.
"He did not hesitate to take the keys from her - I was so relieved. Not only did he remove her from the roads, but he listened to us and believed what we said."
Ms Hollamby says as someone who knows a lot of people involved in emergency services, she's sure they'd commend her for actions.
"It's so important that us Kiwis take the law into our own hands and protect each other from people who have no idea about diving on our roads," she said.
"I know a few police and my dad is a fireman, and they would all commend me and my husband for our actions to save them from scraping a dead body off the road.
"It's not fair on our emergency services dealing with these 100 percent avoidable accidents."
The holiday road toll currently sits at seven, following a fatal crash in Canterbury on December 26.
Newshub.
