German engineer admits crashing concept sports car

Otago Daily Times

30-06-2025

A German vehicle development engineer crashed a test sports car on the Crown Range Rd, while driving three times the recommended speed limit.
The car driven by Marcus Foerderung, 30, was a "concept sports vehicle" — fitted with a trade plate — believed to be an unreleased Mercedes AMG EV coupe.
It was one of several test vehicles at the scene, all of which were camouflaged and covered following the incident at 9.20am on June 21.
Foerderung appeared in Queenstown District Court yesterday and was ordered to pay almost $2400 in reparation
While Foerderung's counsel, Lockie 't Hooft, said his client was in New Zealand "for work purposes" for a fortnight, he instructed Judge Tim Black in the Queenstown District Court he was not testing the vehicle at the time, and the incident was unrelated to his employment.
Foerderung yesterday admitted one charge of careless driving causing injury to three people, a local father and his two teenage daughters, all of whom were travelling in a Subaru Outback.
According to the police summary of facts, Foerderung was driving the vehicle up the Crown Range "zig-zags", which has a recommended speed limit of 15kmh.
While weather conditions were fine and visibility was clear, the road surface was wet.
After navigating a right-hand switchback, Foerderung accelerated to an estimated speed of 60kmh, with a distance of about 130m before the next switchback, the summary said.
"The defendant failed to brake sufficiently for the corner, crossing the centre line.
"At the same time, the three victims were travelling downhill, navigating the switchback in the opposing lane."
The front of Foerderung's vehicle collided with the driver's side of the Subaru, the impact shunting that car sideways off the road, pinning the passenger side of the vehicle against the wooden crash barrier.
The victims got out by climbing through windows.
The driver sustained a lumbar sprain, contusion and swelling to his right knee, one of his daughters sustained a mild concussion, a neck and thoracic sprain and contusion to her right knee and the other sustained three chipped front teeth, and contusions to her right hip, chest, right lower leg, right elbow and forearm.
"The defendant admitted the facts and stated he believed he had further to the next corner from previous experience driving the road," the summary said.
Mr 'tHooft said the defendant was "incredibly remorseful about the events".
"He has been in communications with those in the vehicle that he collided with to receive updates on their medical injuries.
"My client has never been before the courts ... I understand it's been quite a frightening experience for him."
Judge Black convicted Foerderung and ordered him to pay $1643.96 reparation for vehicle insurance fees, medical assessments and treatments including X-rays, dental fillings and physiotherapy, and a total of $750 emotional harm reparation. The full amount was to be paid before he left New Zealand yesterday afternoon.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months.
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