Booze, speed led to man's death - coroner

A man killed in a crash on SH2 in August was believed to be traveling at 160 kmh. File photo / Thinkstock

Alcohol and speed are the two contributing factors identified in a coroner's report on the death of a man whose car crashed on State Highway 2, north of Otane in Hawke's Bay.

Coroner Chris Devonport said Stacy Edward Graham, 34, died on August 28, 2011, of multiple injuries after the 1989 Holden Commodore he was driving collided with the rear of a 1995 Honda Civic driven by Jed Huggett, while attempting to pass.

The Commodore left the road and hit a grass bank and concrete power pole. Mr Graham, a mechanic, was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and the impact ejected him from the vehicle and he died at the scene.

Prior to the crash, Constable Brendan Price saw Mr Graham's car "doing a burnout" at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Higginson St.

Mr Price saw Mr Graham's car accelerate north towards Hastings at speed and the constable turned his patrol car to follow but was unable to catch up before he came across the crash scene at 6.40pm.

Mr Huggett stated he thought the Commodore was "moving very fast" and in his opinion would have been travelling at 160km/h.

A post mortem toxicological report revealed Mr Graham had a level of 215mgs of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood when the legal limit for a driver over 20 years old was 80mgs.

Senior Constable Chris Pye of the Eastern District Serious Crash Unit completed an investigation into the crash and reported it occurred on a "no passing" section of the road.

There were no mechanical faults with the cars involved which could have contributed to the cause of the crash.

"It is Senior Constable Pye's opinion that Mr Graham had been travelling north at a speed well in excess of 100km/h," Mr Devonport said in his report.

"... and due to his high level of intoxication, has failed to judge his approaching speed and distance between the two vehicles while attempting to pass and clipped the rear of the Honda. I agree with that opinion," he said.