Questions raised over fatal Waiheke Island crash

Photo / Herald on Sunday

A grandfather killed in a car crash on Waiheke Island while supposedly doing burnouts in his 4WD may not have been driving, according to information received by police.

Willie Paul's 16-year-old passenger told police the 47-year-old was behind the wheel when the vehicle crashed on a private gravel road.

But Senior Constable Bryan Hensley said he had since received two emails from a Waiheke Island resident claiming the teenager had told people he was the one driving.

"We have emailed them back saying, 'If anyone knows anything, we would be very happy to talk with them about it'."

In a letter to the Herald, Mr Paul's daughter Tesla said: "That boy with Dad can't even look me in the eye or come up to me.

"I believe that my dad wasn't driving."

Police have been unable to ascertain forensically who was behind the wheel, and are pleading with anyone who has another version of events to get in touch with them.

"At this stage we don't have anything other than to go along with what the guy says," Mr Hensley said.

"He's the one and only person who saw it and we've got nothing to say that what he says couldn't or didn't happen."