Engine's roar alerts locals to fatal crash

Ross Jaggard stands beside the memorial to a friend killed in Whangarei last year - just metres from the scene of Saturday night's accident in which two young men known to Mr Jaggard lost their lives. Photo / Greg Bowker

Neighbours heard the roar of a car engine coming down the hill before it hit the kerb and became airborne twice before skidding into the creek on its side, killing two young mates and putting another in hospital.

Friends at the scene of the crash on Western Hills Drive in central Whangarei were yesterday grieving for the driver and the passenger, who were both believed to be in their early 20s.

Another young man was last night in a stable condition in Whangarei Hospital.

It was just before midnight on Saturday when businessman Grant Mullenger, whose house overlooks the crash site, heard the roar of the car's engine.

"He was going for it," he told the Herald. "I heard the car before I saw it coming down the hill ... I knew he wasn't going to make the corner."

Mr Mullenger watched as the blue Mazda station wagon skidded off the road and hit the kerb, flew 20m or so in the air and bounced before flying for another 30m and sliding on its side into the creek. He immediately phoned 111.

Just up from the crash site, on the corner of Manse St, Matt and Ally Brown also heard the all-too-familiar roar.

"I heard the tyres screech and the dull thud of the impact of the car hitting the [river] bank," Mr Brown said.

In the seven years the couple have lived there, they have witnessed three crashes on the "black spot" corner, with four lives lost, they said.

The Browns urged police to increase speed camera presence to stop the deaths.

"It's always speed and alcohol ... Obviously speed equals money to get a ticket so it will become an impulse to slow down," Mr Brown said.

When he heard the crash he raced outside and saw two other cars had pulled over to help. He and two other men waded into the stream to try to pull the occupants out.

"The roof was flattened and the car was upside down and the water was knee-deep. The big threat was them drowning." The trio tried to lift the car over and another local joined them. But the survivor - who was in the back seat - started screaming.

"The young guy in the back was screaming 'no, no, stop'," Mr Brown said.

He was talking to his rescuers, in a state of shock, saying: "It's only me, it's only me."

A steady flow of friends and family have visited the site since the crash. Flowers have been placed under a tree, beside the creek, and a black T-shirt - understood to belong to the driver - hangs on a branch.

Ross Jaggard, 21, who survived a fatal crash at the same spot last July despite breaking many bones, was a mate of both the dead men.

He described the driver as a car enthusiast who was "a pretty good fella. It will be a huge funeral."

Zac Akurangi, 19, was there on Saturday night but did not realise he knew the men until yesterday.

"I was pretty gutted. I saw those two guys get lifted out in the [body] bags."

It is understood the Whangarei serious crash unit is investigating the crash, but nobody was available for comment yesterday.

The double-fatality came after a head-on smash on the Hibiscus Coast, 2km north of Hatfields Beach early on Friday evening. A 10-year-old boy died and another child is in Starship hospital in a serious condition.

Two adults are believed to be in a serious condition and one is under observation in Auckland City Hospital.

Another adult, whose condition was unknown last night, was taken to North Shore Hospital.