Passenger dies from rubbish truck crash injuries

The passenger from this car has died in hospital. Photo / Natalie Slade

A man injured in a collision between a car and a rubbish truck has died.

Todd Wiltshire, 25, a passenger in the car, died in hospital last Thursday, almost a week after the crash.

He and a 28-year-old friend were travelling on Albany Hill on January 7 when their vehicle and the rubbish truck collided. The car was cut in two.

Both men were thrown from the vehicle and were taken to Auckland City Hospital in critical condition.

The other man is now in a stable condition, a hospital spokesman said.

In a death notice published in the Herald yesterday, Mr Wiltshire's parents Joan and Garth paid tribute to their son: "You gave us a wonderful 25 years which was taken away from us far too early. Dad's best fishing mate and Mum's beautiful gentle giant.

"We couldn't have wished for a more precious son."

Other tributes said he was a handsome young man who had had many achievements in his life.

Older sister Hayley said: "Miss you Toddy. It was so hard to let go of your hand; but I know you'll be beside me forever ... Sweet dreams baby brother."

Senior Constable Karl Bevin, of the Waitemata serious crash unit, said the car in which Mr Wiltshire was a passenger came around a left-hand bend and slid across the lanes into oncoming south-bound traffic.

It appeared the truck driver had veered towards the left-hand lane to try to avoid the collision but the Nissan Skyline slid sideways across the road and into it.

Acting Sergeant Colin Nuttall, of the Waitemata District serious crash unit, told the Herald yesterday that despite reports speed and alcohol may have been major factors in the crash, this had yet to be confirmed.

Mr Nuttall said that although there was alcohol in the car, police were still waiting on results to determine whether the men had been drinking.

"The driver's not out of the woods yet, and so we still need to talk to him," he said.

"Until we've spoken to the driver, we can't say exactly what's happened."

- additional reporting: NZPA