South Canterbury locals are calling on the NZ Transport Agency to improve a notoriously bad intersection after another life was claimed yesterday.

One person died in a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of on Tekapo-Twizel Rd (State Highway 8) and Mt Cook Rd (State Highway 80) just after 3pm.

Two other people were seriously injured, and one moderately.

The person who died was the driver of a vehicle travelling on SH80 coming from Mt Cook.

The vehicle turned onto SH8, heading towards Twizel, and into the path of an oncoming vehicle. A third vehicle, travelling from Tekapo, was waiting at the intersection.

Paul Hannagan, a volunteer firefighter and Mackenzie District councillor, was one of the first responders at the crash.

"There was mess all over the road. It seemed to be a high-impact crash and there were car parts strewn all over the place," he said.

Hannagan said the crash was just one in a long list of serious accidents at the intersection and the second fatal he had attended.

"It seems to be people coming off the Mt Cook Rd that are not used to looking left or right and pulling out into traffic which is doing 100km/h passed there," he said.

"The previous fatal I went to was a truck where the guy was driving legally and a car pulled out right in front of him."

Hannagan said "every local you talk to is concerned about the highway".

"It's a corner that I won't do over 80km/h going past, and I'm always looking out for someone pulling out and where I can swerve to.

"The general public doesn't do that but I think every local here knows that it's a horrendous corner," he said.

"Every time you drive this highway, in the back of your mind you tell yourself you are taking your life in your hands."

Last year, local school teacher Sandy Nelson launched a petition calling for changes to the intersection.

The petition called for NZTA to change the give-way sign at the intersection to a stop sign and add a flashing warning sign to alert drivers.

Despite the petition getting over 800 signatures, appropriate action wasn't taken.

Mackenzie District Council Mayor Graham Smith said this latest death has renewed the appeal to make the road safer.

"As mayor I am particularly concerned that there has been a tragic accident and my sympathy goes out to the family and all those concerned," he said.

"I have put a couple of calls into NZTA at present, but they haven't responded as of yet.

"We have talked about this intersection several times with NZTA. We are particularly concerned about it.

"There are a huge number of near misses and accidents at that site so I am disappointed that NZTA haven't reacted to rectify the situation."

Mayor Smith said a lot of tourists visit the area which presents various road safety issues.

"We have a lot of driving behaviour in the Mackenzie Country. It's not all speeding, it's tourists weaving on the road, inattention and sometimes they drive on the wrong side of the road.

"That is why our local residents are all reminded to drive very defensively on that road," he said.

"I don't know all the circumstances surrounding this crash, but it's further evidence and tragic evidence that something needs to be done at this intersection."

Hannagan said whether the accident involved locals or not didn't matter, the outcome was tragic either way.

"But unfortunately it seems like people have to die before anything gets done which is a big disappointment."

Hannagan said that despite the tragic circumstances of the crash, he was blown away by the support of locals at the scene.

"On the other hand it makes me so proud to look around at an incident like this and see all the wonderful locals who turn up and staunch it out doing things that would amaze and horrify most people," he said.

"Usually when we arrive at these incidents I see not only the emergency services, but also the first car on the scene with some random local who has saved a life with their actions, or at least provided first aid and comfort to a stranger who is usually on the holiday of their lifetime and needs a smile or a hug.

"You talk about small-town attitudes and everyone pitching in, and Twizel is just a prime example of that."