NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Learner driver dies in 180km/h crash

Jared Savage
By Jared Savage, Jared Savage and Jonathan Marshall
Investigative Journalist·
11 Aug, 2007 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Salvage staff remove the Honda CRX that Luke Wooster was driving when it crashed into a bridge. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Salvage staff remove the Honda CRX that Luke Wooster was driving when it crashed into a bridge. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

KEY POINTS:

A Hawke's Bay teenager killed after a police pursuit was travelling at speeds of up to 180km/h - and was on a learner licence, says his family.

A Police Complaints Authority investigation has been launched into the smash that killed driver Luke Wooster, 17, of Flaxmere, early yesterday
- the latest in a series of serious crashes involving police pursuits and young drivers.

Last night, it was revealed Luke Wooster held a learner licence, meaning he shouldn't have been on the road at 1.30am and shouldn't have been carrying any passengers other than an experienced, supervising driver.

One witness, Marty Cowan, said Wooster saw the police flashing lights and "freaked out", but police last night said they were comfortable with the actions of their officer and that he never came within 500m of the pursued vehicle, a powerful Honda CRX.

Cowan estimated Wooster's car was travelling 180km/h in the 70km/h zone at the time of the crash.

He said Wooster died in his arms. "I just jumped out of the car, ran straight up to them, took my jersey off, wrapped my jersey around his head where blood was just pouring out," Cowan told 3 News.

"I was just talking to him, he was nodding... [I asked] 'Are you still there?' but his face wasn't there, and he passed away."

Cowan told the Herald on Sunday that just five seconds before the crash, Wooster overtook the car he was in. "The police were chasing them but they weren't very close, they couldn't catch up, they were ages away."

A youth who was a passenger in Wooster's car is believed to have been flung from the vehicle, and was last night in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital's intensive care unit.

Last night, Luke Wooster's father Wayne said he had been talking to his son "just the other day" about what to do if he saw blue and red lights behind his car. "We talked about this very thing, what to do when you have them behind you, but these kids are scared about the fines," said Wayne Wooster, who last night spoke to the Herald on Sunday, saying he wanted to help prevent the life of another boy racer being taken because they are "too scared" to pull over when police are in pursuit.

Wayne Wooster said he was "a little angry" with police for chasing his son, "because if he had stopped, all they would have been able to do was get him for a $400 fine".

Hastings police area commander Inspector Dean Clifford said a police patrol was in the Bridge Pa area after reports of boy racers, including a crash where people had left the scene and were picked up by another car.

Clifford said the patrol car driver then spotted two cars driving towards him at speed. He activated his lights, but neither car stopped. The officer did a U-turn and began following one of the cars.

He said the chase lasted less than two minutes and covered approximately 2km. Police came no closer than 500m to the pursued car.

"Approaching the settlement of Bridge Pa, the pursued vehicle passed another car and appears to have lost control and crashed into a bridge abutment," Clifford said.

Wayne Wooster said friends of his young son did not agree with police claims that the vehicle Luke was driving had been chased for only a short time. He said the number of deaths following police chases was down to the age of police recruits. "The police these days are too young for the driving they are doing - they are the same age as the guys they're chasing. But there is no point in me getting angry because it doesn't matter what I do or say, he ain't coming back."

He said when no serious crime had been committed and a vehicle wouldn't stop, officers should take note of registration plates - "they will end up catching up with them, and they will all live to tell the tale".

The death comes after a spate of serious crashes involving pursuits and raises questions over whether national policies need to change. Police guidelines say public and police safety should take precedence over the need to apprehend alleged offenders.

Police officers are responsible for deciding whether to pursue a vehicle, and pursuits can be abandoned by either an officer or a controller at the communications centre if they become unsafe.

Over the next few days, the communications log of the incident would be checked and the police officer involved would be interviewed, Clifford said. He said his staff were "aware of the risks of pursuits".

Now was the time for family to come together, said Wayne Wooster. "I am sad and shocked, everyone has been crying a lot today".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Property

Watch: 'My raging backyard river' - North Shore homeowner fears stormwater torrent

11 Jul 06:00 AM
live
New Zealand

Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours

11 Jul 05:50 AM
New Zealand

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours
live

Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours

11 Jul 05:50 AM

Electrical storms are set to hit at evening rush as Auckland braces for 16 hours of rain.

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
'Not over yet': Chung won't drop out of mayoral race over lewd Tory Whanau email

'Not over yet': Chung won't drop out of mayoral race over lewd Tory Whanau email

11 Jul 05:25 AM
Ray Chung talks to Newstalk ZB host Ryan Bridge about email scandal

Ray Chung talks to Newstalk ZB host Ryan Bridge about email scandal

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP