Auckland driver whose friend was killed in illegal street race died after struggle with blame, social media abuse - Coroner ‘highlights importance of intervening’

Dylan Chad (left) pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tyler Hoyle (right), who died on August 1, 2013.

WARNING: This story refers to suicide and self-harm and may be upsetting.

A teen driver convicted of manslaughter after his involvement in an illegal street car race that killed his friend went on to take his own life - unable to cope with the tragedy.

A Coroner has released formal findings after the death saying she wanted to “highlight the importance of intervening and taking action if there are concerns about an individual’s mental state”.

“Particularly if they could be suicidal,” she said.

Dylan Chad, 22, died between March 2 and 3, 2019, in Auckland.

Coroner Janet Anderson ruled the death was a suicide and recently released her findings into the incident.

In 2014, Chad was sentenced in the High Court at Auckland to nine months’ home detention and disqualified from driving for three years after admitting the manslaughter of his best friend Tyler Hoyle.

Hoyle was hit by a car during an illegal street race involving Chad.

But not even halfway through Chad’s driving ban he was back in the dock after police caught him behind the wheel in West Auckland.

The court heard he “freaked out and panicked” at the prospect of going to prison when he saw the flashing lights and put his foot down.

Chad reached speeds of up to 130km/h during the chase and at one point during the pursuit, in a desperate attempt to evade the law, he turned off his headlights.

Coroner Anderson said Chad’s mother believed he “had not been able to cope with Tyler’s death”.

She claimed her son had been “subjected to blame and unkind comments about it on Facebook”.

“After self-harming in early 2014, he was prescribed antidepressants and referred to post-traumatic stress disorder counselling,” the Coroner said in her findings.

A mental health assessment in 2018 noted Chad had cannabis dependence issues.

On March 3, 2019, Chad was found dead in his bedroom.

“Concerns were raised that Dylan may have indicated an intention to end his life during communications with several friends, but that they took no action,” said Coroner Anderson.

“His friends told police that they had not believed Dylan was serious about ending his life.

“It is clear that Dylan found life difficult at times and that he was profoundly affected by the death of his friend Tyler.”

Coroner Anderson said Chad had a history of impulsive behaviour and self-harm.

“And (he) seems to have found it difficult to talk about his emotions,” she said.

“Because of this, the depth of his struggles was not always obvious to those around him.

“At times he expressed thoughts of suicide and showed suicidal intent, including during the period immediately prior to his death.

“However, it was not thought that he would follow through with these intentions and Dylan’s death came as a shock to his family and friends.”

Coroner Janet Anderson said Dylan Chad was profoundly affected by the death of his friend.

Coroner Anderson said there were no formal recommendations she could make to prevent similar deaths in future - but she did want to make a public comment.

“I do wish to highlight the importance of intervening and taking action if there are concerns about an individual’s mental state, particularly if they could be suicidal,” she said.

“It is important to seek urgent advice and assistance if there are any concerns that an individual is contemplating suicide, even if there is uncertainty about whether they genuinely intend to harm themselves or take steps to end their life.

“The Ministry of Health produces resources and information about what steps can be taken if someone is threatening suicide or is thought to be at risk of suicide.

“These resources include contact details for agencies that can provide further advice and information.”

The Ministry of Health information can be accessed by clicking here.