Father wanted to die in crash, Coroner says

A man who died with two of his children in a head-on smash had set out to commit homicide in a "deranged act", says Hamilton's coroner.

The man had followed through on threats to kill himself behind the wheel and when he did die earlier this year, so did two of his three children, an inquest into their deaths was told yesterday.

Hamilton coroner Gordon Matenga said the crash, at Ngahinapouri, could "only be described as a deranged act" to take his own life and commit culpable homicide.

"It is the only scenario that fits the evidence," he said.

Earlier, the mother of two young children killed in the smash said her estranged husband repeatedly threatened to kill himself behind the wheel.

She ended their relationship because of concerns over his chronic cannabis use.

Her husband was allegedly unhappy with the thought of her finding someone else or their children having a stepfather.

"He did exactly what he said he was going to do," she said.

Their third child suffered serious multiple injuries, requiring extensive hospital treatment. The children's mother was not in the car, the Waikato Times reported.

The driver of the north-bound truck and his 10-year-old passenger were unhurt.

The truck driver told the inquest the car suddenly veered in front of him, leaving him no time to brake.

"It wasn't until he was right in front of me that he swerved hard right. It wasn't a slow drift."

Mr Matenga said he was satisfied the man had deliberately swerved into the path of an oncoming truck.

He reserved his findings and suppressed the names of those involved.

- NZPA