Two tourists killed when their car and a ute collided in Marlborough had only just met and were sharing a ride, a survivor of the crash has told police.

Two men, one from Germany and the other from France, died in the crash, near Pelorus Bridge, in atrocious conditions on Wednesday afternoon.

The two women who survived the crash remain in Wairau Hospital, both in a stable condition, on Thursday.

A 33-year-old Marlborough woman, who was the sole occupant of the ute, suffered significant bruising and a broken ankle which will need surgery.

A 25-year-old German woman, who was the front seat passenger of the car, has a broken collar bone and bruising.

She told police that she and the other two tourists had met only recently and were sharing a ride.