KEY POINTS:
Cain Longstaff lived for cars. On his Bebo internet page the 19-year-old listed rugby and "anything 2 do with boyracing..." as his favourite sports.
"My life basically revolves around... work, cars, girls, alcohol and food! get my licence back 16th november... cant wait to get it back i miss driving so much!!!!!!!!!"
Longstaff was knocked down and killed by a car in New Plymouth on Friday night in an accident police say was related to boy-racing - one of two serious incidents in the city that evening involving youths and fast cars.
Jay Antonio Borrows, a local groundsman, was charged with dangerous driving causing death and remanded on bail to reappear in New Plymouth District Court on October 4.
An eyewitness said Longstaff was trying to walk across Centennial Drive, at a favourite gathering place for car enthusiasts known as Omata tank farm.
"I watched the whole thing," said friend James Watson. "It looked like it was on TV.
"The car was travelling at speed. It crossed the white line and hit him."
Friends of Longstaff believe one of the last phone calls he made on Friday night was to his mate Alastair Bennett, to wish him a happy 20th birthday.
Alastair's mother Hilary said her son and his friends were devastated by Longstaff's death.
"He was a sweet and gentle young man. It's horribly sad when young people lose their lives. I'm just grateful Al didn't witness it."
She defended the young people involved in the car enthusiast scene.
"Not all young people with souped-up cars are boy racers. There is a certain type of young person who loves their vehicle. The bulk of people gathering at these things are not troublemakers."
Messages of condolence have been posted on Longstaff's Bebo site.
Three days ago his girlfriend Rachel posted the message "Yay 5 months!" Yesterday, it said simply: "i love you cain i miss you so much."
Around the same time Longstaff was killed, a 23-year-old man was stabbed at a gathering of up to 200 boy racers on the other side of New Plymouth at the Bell Block industrial area. Police say the victim was beaten and then stabbed in the side in an unprovoked attack. Friends drove him to hospital with the knife embedded in his side.
Ambulance and police were called and the victim was admitted to Taranaki Base Hospital in a stable condition.
New Plymouth police Area Commander Inspector Fiona Prestidge said regular gatherings of boy racers around the city had been worrying police and local authorities for years. She feared the situation could worsen in the warmer weather. "It's been our biggest headache for some time."
Prestidge said that last weekend police had bottles lobbed at them by a group of boy racers. "It's always got the potential [for violence] with those large numbers."
Prestidge said there had been no fight before Longstaff was killed.
"It wasn't like a drag race, it was a single vehicle. It appears to be some sort of loss of control."
She said the driver initially stopped, then drove away, fearing he would be set upon by other youths. He later called police on his cellphone.
A 23-year-old New Plymouth man was arrested and charged with dangerous driving causing death.
Cabinet minister Clayton Cosgrove described the death as a tragedy.
"When are these boy racers going to pull their heads in?" he asked.
Cosgrove said police had the power to impound cars and judges could confiscate them, but more than legislation was needed to tackle the issue.
In Christchurch on Friday night, police ordered more than 20 cars off the road for illegalities as boy racers streamed into the city for an annual weekend gathering.
At least 12 other cars were also seized over unpaid fines owed by their owners.
