Canterbury street racing, fleeing driver death: ‘My beautiful girl’, parents pay tribute

Police had been investigating illegal street racing in Fernside before the car fled the scene and crashed in Rangiora. Photo / George Heard

The “devastated” parents of a teenager killed after a car crashed into a home as it fled from police have posted tributes to their “beautiful girl”.

An 18-year-old man has now been charged with dangerous driving causing death and is due to appear over the crash after police were called to a report of illegal street racing activity in Fernside, North Canterbury just before 4.45am.

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”.

An 18-year-old woman died after a car crashed into a house in Rangiora. The driver has been arrested, Photo / George Heard

Shortly after, the car was found crashed into the side of a home on McIvor Place in Rangiora after hitting a tree.

Cooper said no one in the house was hurt but one of the four passengers in the vehicle, an 18-year-old female, died at the scene.

On Sunday, the teen’s parents took to social media posting photos of their beloved daughter, who the Herald has chosen not to name.

“Rest in love my beautiful girl,” her mother posted.

Cooper told the Herald the teen’s family were “devastated.

“This is the result of illegal street racing at night.”

Police said on Sunday afternoon that an 18-year-old man is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday on charges of dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop, and other driving-related charges.

‘It was a mess’

The owner of the home, Barry, told the Herald he woke up after hearing a crash and breaking glass.

He went to investigate, thinking someone could be breaking into his house.

“I came out here to the lounge and there was a big chunk of wood had gone right through the window with glass all through the lounge.

“The guys were yelling out they wanted the police, so I rang the police and the ambulance turned up as well.

“Unfortunately, the young girl passed away.”

The passengers of the car were across the road yelling, Barry said.

”When I came out here I couldn’t believe it. It was a mess.”

Police had been investigating illegal street racing in Fernside before the car fled the scene and crashed in Rangiora. Photo / George Heard

He said a sleeper at the front of his house stopped the car from going into his lounge.

“I would say he was going at a hell of a pace, the only thing that stopped him going right through to my lounge was the sleeper, the back wheel hit that and it stopped him, otherwise he would’ve kept going.”

The police were on the scene within 30 seconds of calling, he said.

Asked if he had any issues with boy racers down his street, he said they hear them in the mornings sometimes.

He believed the rest of the group were “all reasonably young kids.

”It’s just a sad day for some family.”

Photos from the scene show the mangled wreck of the vehicle crashed in the front garden of a home near a large tree.

A pink sticker, ordering the car off the road, can be seen affixed to the car’s windscreen.

The car crashed into a tree and then a house on McIvor Place in Rangiora. Photo / George Heard

The driver of the car, an 18-year-old male, has been arrested and is being questioned by police.

“Two other passengers were uninjured and are speaking to police.”

Several investigations will now take place, including inquiries by the Serious Crash Unit and the Independent Police Conduct Authority.