'He told me his son died here last night'

Bradley Gillard stands at the site where he spoke to the father of the young man killed. Photo / Alan Gibson

The father of a young driver killed in a high-speed street race in Palmerston North stood and stared at the drain his son's car ended up in.

Local boy Bradley Gillard, 11, walked past the crash site first thing yesterday and noticed a man standing on the bank, staring into the murk.

"I asked what had happened and he said, 'My son died last night in the stream'," Bradley told the Herald.

The dead driver was 25-year-old Jason Luke Downes, of Palmerston North. His passenger was yesterday in Palmerston North Hospital but his condition was unknown.

About 11.20pm on Tuesday, a police patrol saw a pair of Honda Civics racing out of the city.

The squad car turned on its red and blue lights but had to turn them off when the vehicles switched off their headlights.

Mr Downes' car veered off the highway, crossing the grass verge and footpath before sinking in the drain.

The other vehicle, which was stolen, later also crashed. Two 16-year-olds in that car escaped injury. They now face prosecution.