Motorists drive past dying six-year-old child in car

Motorists drove past a dying six-year-old child and a critically-injured woman after their car slammed into a tree just south of Kaitaia yesterday.

Police last night confirmed the dead boy was Jordin Geraul Laye King of Whangarei. The driver of the vehicle, Konchita King, was in a serious condition in Auckland Hospital.

A local resident saw the crashed stationwagon at 6am but thought it was abandoned and did not call police, the Herald on Sunday has learned. It was not until two hours later that a motorist stopped to check the car, and raised the alarm. The child died at the scene.

Ms King was last night in a critical condition in Whangarei hospital.

She lost consciousness just after the helicopter trip to hospital and was last night "deteriorating".

A local woman told the Herald on Sunday there were no skid marks near the left-hand bend on State Highway 1.

Sergeant Alison Holdaway of Kaitaia said the crash could have occurred as early as 5am and it appeared the child had not been wearing a seatbelt.

It was the worst crash in a horror day on Northland roads. Four people were injured in a crash south of Kaikohe - two were flown to Whangarei hospital and two were taken by ambulance to Bay of Islands Hospital.

Three people escaped serious injury when their car rolled, 12km south of Kerikeri.

Attending firefighter Les Wasson said the car failed to take a bend at about 5.30am and was found on its roof.

A police spokesperson confirmed there was a fourth accident around the same time in the Hikurangi area.

No further details of that crash were available last night.

And yesterday evening a car rolled on Pouto Rd near Dargaville, leaving one person seriously injured.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY