Man dies in car crash after birthday bash

Speed and not wearing a seatbelt may have contributed to the death of a young father-to-be in a car crash near Te Kouma on the Coromandel Peninsula on Friday night, police say.

Police said James George Keenan, of Manaia, south Taranaki, had been celebrating his 24th birthday that night.

He lost control of his car on a corner on State Highway 25 while returning to Manaia from Coromandel.

The car slid over a bank and rolled down to the foreshore.

Mr Keenan was thrown out of his car and his body was found by a road worker at 6am on Saturday.

Constable John Morrissey said Mr Keenan and his partner were expecting a child in January.

It was likely Mr Keenan was not wearing a seatbelt and speed may have been a factor in the accident, he said.

- nzpa