'Almost instantly the flames came': Tauranga teen's new car meets fiery end

A car burst into flames when it crash into a transformer on Princess Road. Photo/John Borren

A car burst into flames after two students took it for a spin during their morning tea-break and ploughed into a power box.

The students, both believed to be 17 from Otumoetai College, were taking the passenger's car, which he had recently bought, for a spin in their tea-break, a friend at the crash scene yesterday told the Bay of Plenty Times.

The driver of the car was taken to hospital with facial injuries after he lost control and skidded off Princess St at the entrance to York Park in Bellevue about 11.25am.

Mere Kawha-Brears was just pulling into her father's driveway when the boys crashed behind her.

"I didn't even get a chance to turn the car off," she said, before she heard the loud crash.

"Squealing and then impact.

"As soon as it happened I jumped out of the car and ran straight to them."

The boys got themselves out and the passenger was trying to turn off the car when she encouraged them to get away from it, she said.

"Almost instantly the flames came. I'm not sure if it was from the car or the transformer ... I just got them away because I was scared it was going to blow up."

The driver's face was badly injured but she believed the boys' injuries could have been a lot worse if they had not been wearing seatbelts. She contacted the boys' parents and met the driver's mother when she arrived at the scene, who could not comment as she left quickly to see her son in hospital.

A resident on Windsor Rd, around the corner from Princess Rd, said she did not see the accident. "Heard it though, sounded like gunshots. Then the sirens started."

Constable Ian Sadler said most of the power box was alight and both the power box and car burnt through while fire fighters waited for power authorities to turn up.

Mr Sadler said power authorities needed to turn off the power and make sure the box was safe before firefighters were able to use water on the flames.