Booze suspected in teen's car death

Photo / File

Witnesses to a fatal car crash in Auckland's Mission Bay heard a survivor scream, "Bro, I told you not to speed" as rescuers worked frantically to help a dying teenager.

Brooke Julia Thompson, 16, was killed when the 1998 BMW in which she was travelling glanced off a power pole and into a tree on Atkin Ave just after 1am yesterday.

The high school student from the east Auckland suburb of Glen Innes is the third teenager to die in a car crash this week.

Police believe alcohol may have been a factor, and said none of the four teenagers in the car appeared to have a full driver licence.

Sue Cameron was woken by the sound of the crash.

"Someone - a girl - was screaming, 'Get an ambulance I can't breathe' and kept screaming."

Soon after, Mrs Cameron heard a young man say: "Bro, what did I tell you ... bro, I told you not to speed."

The other passengers, a girl and boy both aged 16 and a 14-year-old boy, escaped with minor injuries.

Brooke Thompson was sitting in the right rear side of the car, which took the impact of the crash.

Mrs Cameron told the Herald the boys started fighting and one kicked the car.

"He was swearing and kicking it, maybe out of frustration," she said.

Screams could be heard coming from the car as rescuers tried to help Miss Thompson.

"Someone said, 'She can't breathe, I think she's dying'," Mrs Cameron said.

"You could tell she was in a lot of pain."

Sergeant Matt Ford, of the Auckland police serious crash unit, said speed and possibly alcohol were suspected as factors in the crash.

He said it was too early to say if charges would be laid.

Police had not established which of the survivors had been driving, or if any of the car's occupants had been wearing seatbelts.

Two other teenagers have died on the roads this week.

Isaiah Nathan, 13, was killed when he crashed a stolen car into a fence in Manurewa on Wednesday morning.

Matthew Lee Gibbs, 15, was killed when he crashed on State Highway 56 early on Monday.

*Anyone with any information about the Mission Bay crash should call the serious crash unit on (09) 359-3111.