Locals from the Mackenzie-Mt Cook area have built their own road warning sign, hoping it will help reduce the number of fatal accidents on the road following another deadly crash.
Three vehicles were involved in an accident at the intersection of State Highway 8 and Mt Cook Rd on Wednesday, resulting in one death and injuries to four others.
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The dead man was later named by police as 42-year-old Qin Li of China.
Mackenzie District Councillor and local volunteer firefighter Paul Hannagan told Newshub that Wednesday's crash was the second he had attended in two years - and he decided something needs to be done.
"I put a post on Facebook to thank all the locals who responded to the accident... and the number of comments about near misses that don't make the statistics got me thinking to do something in the meantime to help [the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA)]."
Many other locals have called the intersection dangerous, and today Mr Hannagan and a group set out to erect their own warning sign.
"A bunch of people volunteered wood and paint and time and energy - and now there's a sign up there," he said.
While he admits the bright yellow sign is a little "busy", he hopes it acts as a temporary warning to drivers while the NZTA investigates the crash.
The sign also has warnings in Mandarin, due to the area being a tourist hotspot.
Mr Hannagan said he would love it if he never attended another accident there, and "can't wait for the day when we can pull our sign down".
He said the NZTA could look at introducing new sensors on the road which light up a sign telling drivers to reduce their speed when a car crosses them, or smooth out the hill to provide a better line of sight.
Mr Hannagan said he wanted to thank locals for helping, and stressed NZTA are not the "bad guys", but the group were just closer and could act quicker.
Newshub.
