Crash black spot claims teenager's life

A collision near the bend known as Fisherman's Point sent a car more than 2m over a bank and into the Whangarei Harbour. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Residents had been campaigning in vain for barriers on a treacherous corner that this weekend claimed the life of a teenager in a high-speed smash.

Andrew Thomas Ellwood, 19, died when the car he was travelling in with three friends plunged more than 2m over a bank. Two others were critically injured.

Police said the car crossed the centre line and collided with another vehicle before going off the road into the Whangarei Harbour on Friday night.

Ellwood was trapped in the car along with two others, and died at the scene.

The female driver and male front seat passenger were in critical condition in Whangarei Hospital yesterday. Another male passenger was unhurt.

Two adults and a child travelling in the second car escaped serious injury, and were treated at the scene.

Ellwood's older sister Toni said it was a "horrendous time for the family".

"He was a much loved member of the family and will be very sorely missed," she said.

Police said driving too fast for wet conditions was likely to have been a factor in the crash.

Whangarei Sergeant Graham Povey said the driver appeared to have lost control on the bend on Whangarei Heads Rd, near Tamaterau.

The sharp bend, known locally as Fisherman's Point, was a crash black spot, Povey said.

Locals said several vehicles had gone over the bank, though most incidents occurred on the other side of the bend from Friday's fatality.

Resident Ian Kippenberger has been lobbying Whangarei District Council to put up safety barriers on the corner. "I didn't want a death to occur for it to be brought forward," he said.

The only safety measure was a small barrier protecting an area where people parked to go fishing.

"It's an awkward bend that can catch people out," he said.

Caroline Hoara said she'd seen "a lot of scary sights" on the stretch of road.

But she doubted there was room on the roadside to add safety barriers. "People need to slow down."

Whangarei road safety coordinator Gillian Archer said she didn't have enough information to comment on whether safety barriers were needed.

"I do know we've had crashes in our district where barriers have been in place but the speed has been so outrageous that they've just flipped over the top of them," she said. "Quite often it's locals who travel too fast because they think they're familiar with the road."

Meanwhile, motorists returning from school holidays yesterday were faced with delays north and south of Auckland after two crashes backed up traffic on State Highway 1.

A head-on collision near Wellsford left two motorists with moderate injuries.

And a four-car crash on the motorway between the Manurewa and Hill Rd off-ramps reduced north-bound lanes to two and caused a backlog.