Adam Michael Rapson appears in the Christchurch District Court. Photo / George Heard
An 18-year-old learner driver has been charged with the manslaughter of a teen killed in a crash in North Canterbury.
Police were called to a report of illegal street racing activity in Fernside, North Canterbury, just before 4.45am on September 17.
Canterbury rural area commander Inspector Peter Cooper earlier said the car fled the scene and police pursued the vehicle for a time but stopped “due to the manner of driving and the urban environment”.
The car was found shortly after, crashed into the side of a home on McIvor Place in Rangiora after hitting a tree.
One of the four passengers in the vehicle, Zara Mitchell, 18, died at the scene.
Adam Michael Rapson earlier appeared at the Christchurch District Court before Judge Quentin Hix, facing four charges.
The charges included dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop for police, being an unaccompanied learner driver, and driving a car that had been ordered off the road by an order in writing before new evidence of vehicle inspection had been obtained for and displayed on the vehicle.
On Friday, police announced they had filed three new charges against Rapson including manslaughter and two charges of dangerous driving causing injury.
Rapson is due to reappear in the Christchurch Distrirct Court on October 17.
Among the passengers in the car was Mitchell’s boyfriend of two-and-a-half years.
The 16-year-old boy’s mother, who the Herald has agreed not to name, received a message from a friend about 7.50am on Sunday saying they had heard there had been a crash and that the woman’s son was in the car and his girlfriend Mitchell was dead.
The mother said she was “in disbelief” and began to receive other messages and phone calls shortly after. She went to the police station to pick up her son.
She believed the group of friends were not racing but had been to a “boy racer meet-up”.
“It’s where a whole lot of people, car enthusiasts, they go out, they show off their cars and do that kind of stuff.”
She said her son, who was in the backseat of the car, was “absolutely broken” and was not opening up much at this stage.
“All he could say was ‘I tried to help her’,” she said.
“He just keeps saying that he’s alone now, he’s on his own.”
Her son had spent Sunday afternoon with Mitchell’s mother. The teenage pair were “each other’s first love”, his mother said.
“She came around when he was 14 and just turned his whole life around. She got him on track.”
She said there were plenty of rumours being spread about what happened.
“At the end of the day, the only ones that actually know what happened were the ones in the car,” she said.
“They’re not these kids that go out and do ram raids, they’re not these kids that go out and do stupid s***, they went out one night and hung out with their mates and it turned into this.”
She said Mitchell’s parents were “beside themselves”.
The 16-year-old’s mother posted a tribute to Mitchell on her Facebook page on Sunday.
”No words can express this tragedy we are going through losing someone so close.
“Someone that was part of the family, someone I classed as a daughter, my kids’ big sister, my son’s real true love.”
She said the teen “brought light into everyone’s worlds”.
“Even if it was just coming into my house to steal snacks, to the long talks and sleepovers we would have, you gave my girls a big sister to look up to.
“You showed my son what it was really like to feel love and give love. You were helping him get on the right foot in life. You had so many big dreams we used to talk about working you towards.
“I’ve shed so many tears for you and I’m sure I’ll shed more, but I can just hear your little voice saying ‘oh you’ll be okay’.”
On Sunday, Mitchell’s parents posted photos of their beloved daughter on social media.
“Rest in love my beautiful girl,” her mother posted.
A Givealittle page has been created for Mitchell’s family
Cooper told the Herald the teen’s family were devastated.
“This is the result of illegal street racing at night.”
Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
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