The car 16-year-old Tady Malone saved for years to buy lies wrecked after the driver of a dark SUV-style car sped off after crashing into him. Photo / Supplied
The car 16-year-old Tady Malone saved for years to buy lies wrecked after the driver of a dark SUV-style car sped off after crashing into him. Photo / Supplied
A teen driver had his car totalled by a hit-and-run driver while on the way to school on Auckland's North Shore.
Tady Malone was heading to Northcote College on Wednesday morning when a car hurtling down his street in the opposite direction struck his car head-on before driving away without stopping.
Now the Year 12 student, who had been saving his birthday and Christmas money for years to buy his first car, faces saving his minimum wage earnings from his after-school job to replace it.
Malone's brother Shea has set up a Givealittle fundraising page to try help his brother out.
Malone, 16, only had third-party insurance, and the driver of the dark SUV-style car fled the scene after hitting him with so much force his car has been written off.
"I was going to school, and my street's kind of narrow because there's cars parked all over it," Malone told the Herald.
"It was almost like a blind corner because the cars were in the way. I braked and was almost stopped and he wasn't and hit my car."
The driver reversed quickly and Malone thought he was going to stop and get out, but the car sped away.
"I was in shock, it felt like I was being tackled in rugby. It wasn't too bad of an impact, the airbag didn't go off. I got a bit of whiplash."
Tady Malone, pictured, only had third-party insurance. Now his brother has set up a Givealittle fundraising page to try help him replace his pride and joy. Photo / Michael Craig
Despite a neighbour who witnessed the accident chasing the car, no one at the scene managed to note its plate number.
Police confirmed they had been called on Wednesday morning, but said a plate number and full description of the car or driver weren't able to be provided.
"Fortunately the 16-year-old driver of the first car was not injured, although he was reported to be very shaken by the incident,' a spokeswoman said.
Malone works one day a week at Mitre 10 and said he wasn't sure his parents could help him replace the car.
He imagined he'd have to save for months before he could buy a new one.
The car, which cost him $4000, had only been bought about six weeks before the crash happened.
Malone said he was a little bit disappointed but not too much.
