Pizza box breaks baby's car crash fall

Peter Fa'aeteete. Photo / Richard Robinson

Police have revealed that a baby who flew from a van during a car crash on Auckland's Southern Motorway had his fall cushioned by a pizza box on the road.

Petelo Fa'aeteete, 52, had taken his family out for a meal on June 30 and was driving home on the Southern Motorway when a car slammed into his van.

The van rolled three times before landing driver's side down.

Mr Fa'aeteete died moments later with his wife, Aida, trapped in her seat beside him.

Their daughter Karen, 28, then three months pregnant, and her 6-month-old son, Peter, were in the back.

Miss Fa'aeteete was strapping Peter back into his car seat, after making him more comfortable, when the crash happened.

He was thrown out of the van and landed about 5m away on the motorway.

Constable Caroline Ludford of the Waitemata serious crash unit said Peter landed on top of a pizza box, but it was not clear whether the box came from the van or was already lying on the motorway.

Mrs Fa'aeteete said there were pizza boxes in the van as they were taking leftovers home.

Peter was not injured in the crash. But Ms Ludford could not say whether the box broke his fall and prevented him from getting hurt.

"We don't know where it came from. He was very lucky."

Mrs Fa'aeteete said Karen had gone to Samoa, where her father was born, to stay with relatives for a while.

Meanwhile the Herald has been told that a couple driving behind Mr Fa'aeteete had a camera on the dashboard of their car and were filming when the crash happened.

They have given the images to police, who are reviewing it as part of the investigation. Ms Ludford refused to comment on the images.

She said analysis of the crash data was still being completed.

Police were also waiting to speak to the driver of another vehicle involved in the crash.

"We are waiting for [the driver's] lawyer to get back from holiday and then we will interview the driver," Ms Ludford said.