Engineer crashes concept car

A vehicle development engineer has been convicted and ordered to pay nearly $2,400 in reparation after he crashed a concept sports car in Otago.

Marcus Foerderung, 30, from Germany, was behind the wheel of the vehicle – believed to be a Mercedes-AMG EV coupe – that was fitted with a test plate when the incident happened on June 21.

It was one of several test vehicles on Crown Range Road, pictured, near Arrow Junction, that were all camouflaged, reports the Otago Daily Times. 

Foerderung appeared in Queenstown District Court on June 30 and admitted one charge of careless driving causing injury to three people, who were all travelling in a Subaru Outback.

His counsel, Lockie ’t Hooft, said Foerderung was in New Zealand for work but was not testing the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The engineer was driving the sports car up a zig-zag section of road where the switchbacks have a recommended speed limit of 15kph, according to the police summary of facts.

After navigating one switchback he accelerated to an estimated 60kph and “failed to brake sufficiently for [a] corner, crossing the centre line”, the summary adds.

“At the same time, the three victims were travelling downhill, navigating the switchback in the opposing lane.”

The test car collided with the Subaru and pinned it against a crash barrier, forcing the injured victims to escape by climbing through windows, reports the Otago Daily Times.

A judge ordered Foerderung to pay $1643.96 reparation for vehicle insurance fees, medical assessments and treatments, and $750 emotional harm reparation. He was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Mercedes-Benz New Zealand told Autofile it was not involved in the testing work Foerderung was part of and therefore not in a position to comment.