Police are reaching out to motorsport fans who were at a Canterbury rally on Saturday in which a photographer was killed by a wayward car described as having strayed off the course.
Authorities are looking for anyone who has photos, video or could provide a witness statement about the crash, which killed Kevin Corin just after 5pm, Saturday.
Mr Corin, described by friends as a former ace British F3 mechanic who was a well-known figure at motorsport events, was attending the Royce Watson Memorial Hanmer Rally when the vehicle travelled "a considerable distance off the rally route", MotorSport New Zealand said.
He was standing in a safe location when he was hit, MotorSport CEO Brian Budd told Radio New Zealand over the weekend.
The tragedy has caused a shockwave through the South Island racing community, said the organisation's president, Wayne Christie.
In tributes on social media yesterday, fellow motorsport enthusiasts remembered a man whose talent behind the lens helped the "rally family" create "all the amazing memories".
"Not only a top notch photographer but an awesome guy with a sense of humour that will be dearly missed," wrote Clayton Vernal. "Kevin had a unique outlook on life and always made me laugh...RIP mate, you will be missed."
Mr Corin's death is not the first on the Canterbury course.
Kelvin Royce Watson, known as Royce, died when he crashed into a tree after crossing the finish line during the first stage in 2013.
The event, which at the time was called the Hanmer Forest Straight'n'Paint Rally, has since been renamed in his memory.
Witnesses to Saturday's crash have been asked to contact Sergeant Rene Pabst at (03) 313 9729 or call Rangiora Police at (03) 313 6167.
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