KEY POINTS:
A 15-year-old learner driver who ploughed into a group of children had been given strict instructions by his parents not to drive his new car because it had failed a warrant of fitness.
But the teen defied his parents after deciding he wanted to go and buy fish
and chips down the road.
His decision to get into the unwarranted car on Thursday, despite being on a learner licence, has left a 3-year-old girl fighting for her life and four others nursing a range of injuries.
It is understood the Torbay teenager had just bought the car, which was registered in his father's name. The warrant had expired in January and attempts to get a new one on Saturday failed when it did not pass inspection.
A family friend told the Weekend Herald the boy's father had parked the car in the yard of his Torbay home and explicitly told his son it was not to be driven under any circumstances until it had a new warrant.
Despite that warning, the boy went out while his parents were at work. Rounding a sharp corner on Stredwick Drive, he lost control, tore through 10m of picket fence and crashed into four children and a 60-year-old woman.
The family friend, who did not want to be identified, said the boy and his family were still in shock at what had happened. Their thoughts were with the injured children and woman.
The accident had, however, been a "tremendous and horrible wake-up call" for the boy.
"It's not always hooligans doing this. It was a kid who just didn't think."
The friend said the boy's family now hoped other teenagers would learn something from the accident, which has renewed the debate on raising the driving age. "Rather than crucifying him, people should look at how to solve the problem."
Terry Hazlewood, the stepfather of one of the injured girls, said he wanted to see the driving age raised to 17 or 18.
Yesterday, the Herald was flooded by emails from readers who agreed with that sentiment.
Man found mother-in-law and stepdaughter lying bleeding on road
As Terry Hazlewood drove into Stredwick Drive he saw his mother-in-law covered in blood and injured children, including his stepdaughter Dominique, 8, on the ground.
A car had just ploughed into the group preparing to deliver papers. Ten metres of fence, a letterbox and powerbox had been torn down.
Mr Hazlewood said: "It's a helpless moment. What goes through your head, what can you say? ... It's worse than shivers going up your spine ... you freeze."
Police said the 15-year-old learner driver lost control on a corner, hit the curb and bounced back across the road before taking out the fence and running into the children.
The victims were standing three metres back from the footpath to the side of a tree at the time.
Nia Wallace, 3 - hit by the bonnet, bounced on to the windshield and landed back on the ground - was taken to Starship hospital with head and internal injuries. Her condition last night was stable but critical.
Dominique and another girl were treated for cuts and bruises and released from hospital yesterday.
Mr Hazlewood's mother-in-law was treated for cuts to her shoulder, but is still traumatised.
Police are investigating the crash.
