Internet law expert rushes home after crash tragedy

Peter Dengate Thrush

Internet law expert Peter Dengate Thrush is on his way home from a conference in Morocco after the deaths of his wife, father and brother in a car crash on the Hutt Valley Motorway.

Liz Dengate Thrush, 53, Ronald Thrush, 79, Gavin Thrush, 46, and close family friend Heather Taylor, 69, were killed in the smash on the rainy, wind-swept stretch of road on Friday night.

State Highway 2, which runs the length of the Hutt Valley, has many treacherous intersections with side roads.

The four victims were in a Subaru Legacy which was pulling out from a compulsory stop sign at one of the intersections when it was struck by a Subaru Impreza travelling along the motorway.

Peter Dengate Thrush was half a world away at the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.

The barrister and former InternetNZ president is now on his way home.

Liz Dengate Thrush was also well known as a consultant in the IT and telecommunications industries.

Detective Sergeant Grant Ferguson said police were still investigating the crash and carrying out full forensic tests on the scene and the two vehicles.

The driver and sole occupant of the other car was believed to have been discharged from Hutt Hospital yesterday.

The man received chest injuries and was extremely fortunate he had not been more seriously hurt, Mr Ferguson said.