Police name man killed in Ranfurly crash

File photo / NZ Herald

Police have released the name of a man killed when he was thrown from a car that crashed near Ranfurly late last night.

He was Cobie Levi Detroit Stringer, 20, of Ranfurly.

Central Otago Sub Area Commander Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk said Mr Stringer was a passenger in a car travelling from Patearoa towards Ranfurly which failed to take a moderate left hand bend.

The car left the road and rolled several times before coming to rest upside-down on a wire fence.

The driver and two other passengers remained in the car but Mr Stringer was thrown from the vehicle.

He was found dead by the other occupants several metres from where the car came to rest.

The other occupants received minor to moderate injuries and were taken to Dunedin Hospital for overnight observation.

Mr Kerrisk said the driver and passengers were wearing seatbelts "which has certainly contributed to their escape from serious injury" but inquiries were yet to confirm whether Mr Stringer had been wearing a seatbelt.

"Unfortunately this is yet another crash on a rural road which involves speed and possibly alcohol. The loss of this young man will have a huge effect on both Ranfurly and the wider Maniototo community as the Stringer family are a very well known local Ranfurly family."

No other vehicles were involved and the weather was fine and clear.

Serious Crash investigators are at the scene which is expected to be cleared by the end of the day.

Family, police and local iwi will attend a short ceremony to bless the site tomorrow.