The uncle of a young girl killed in a crash has signed a petition to have foreign drivers tested, saying he does not want anyone to face the same "senseless pain".

Chris Cant is among hundreds of South Islanders in the past 48 hours to sign an online petition created by Geraldine youngster Sean Roberts, seeking a law change to prevent tourists driving on New Zealand roads without sitting a test.

Cant is the uncle of Ruby Jay Marris - a 5-year-old girl from Oamaru who was travelling with her family before their car was hit by another vehicle being driven by a 32-year-old Chinese man.

Ruby died in the crash on State Highway 1, near Moeraki.

Her parents Kimberley and Tristan Marris remain in Dunedin Hospital, with their 9 and 7-year-old daughters, in a stable condition.

"My wee 5yr old niece died in her mother's arms last Sat. The mother, my sister and the rest of their family continue to have ongoing treatment in Dunedin hospital as a result of a Chinese driver colliding with them on the wrong side of the road," Cant wrote on the petition.

"I never wish anyone to ever experience the senseless pain and ongoing suffering I have felt and seen in the last 24hrs...."

The petition has almost 31,500 signatures, after it was started by Sean Roberts after his father was killed by a Chinese woman who lost control and hit him on his motorbike in 2012.

Many of those signatures have been from the North and Central Otago communities.

Ruby's grandmother, Linda Cant, said she was "too heartbroken" to speak about what had happened.



A neighbour of the Marris family said the crash was a "blow" to their whole street.

"You read about it happening in other places and you think it doesn't affect you, but when it does come next door, it really does affect you," Alexander Gordon said.

The family were good neighbours and the three young girls were "good kids", he said. They were "always happy" and spent hours playing outside on their bicycles and visiting their grandparents, who lived nearby.

"It's very sad... a minute either way and they could have been home happy."

Ardgowan School principal Julie French confirmed Ruby and her older sisters had been pupils at the Oamaru school.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this very sad time." The school was providing support to its pupils, staff and families following the tragedy, she said.

Four occupants of the other vehicle, all Chinese nationals, were taken to Oamaru Hospital after the crash.

Three had minor injuries and had since been discharged, while the fourth, a middle-aged woman, was admitted with moderate injuries.

The 32-year-old male driver appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday on one charge of dangerous driving causing death and four charges of dangerous driving causing injury.

The Otago Daily Times reported the 32-year-old Beijing resident was given interim name suppression because of concerns for his safety.

He was remanded on bail to an Auckland address and would next appear in court in Dunedin on March 13.