KEY POINTS:
The father of a young woman seriously injured in a high-speed weekend crash in South Auckland wants her boyfriend who was driving to take responsibility for the accident.
Thomas Matagi, whose daughter Anita Matagi was one of four teens hurt in a Bairds Rd crash on Saturday morning, told the Herald last night that he was "pretty upset about it" but just glad that no one had been killed.
Anita, 17, was injured when the car her boyfriend Rae Rae was driving flipped during a police chase in Otara.
Despite earlier fears she might lose a leg, Ms Matagi is expected to make a full recovery, though she will be in hospital for a couple of months.
Mr Matagi said he had not talked to Rae Rae since the accident but the boy needed to front up and "take responsibility for his actions".
The 16-year-old, who has been interviewed by police but is yet to be charged, had been drinking bourbon and failed to stop for police about 1.30am on Saturday.
His restricted licence meant he should not have had passengers or been driving after dark.
He drove at up to 180km/h before the car hit a lamp-post and rolled several times.
Mr Matagi said he wanted this accident to be treated as a lesson for youngsters rather than see charges laid.
He described Mr Rae, who has been going out with his daughter for six months, as a "hard-working and good boy".
"Everyone makes bad decisions but hopefully all the young people will learn from this," Mr Matagi said.
"He's just made the wrong decision at the wrong time when he decided to get behind the wheel after drinking."
Mr Rae's mother, Puna, admitted to One News last night that she regularly bought alcohol for her children and would continue to do so despite the near-fatal accident.
Mr Rae, asked by One News what he would say to his girlfriend when he visited her in hospital, said: "I love her and I'm sorry."
Counties Manukau police commander Inspector Alan Shearer said the accident was still being investigated and several charges could be laid.
A blood specimen was taken from Mr Rae when he was admitted to Middlemore Hospital on Saturday morning.
Mr Shearer said it could take up to a fortnight to get the specimen analysed.
The crash has been referred to the Police Complaints Authority, standard with any incident resulting from a police car chase.
* The weekend road toll stood at two last night, with both accidents involving only one vehicle.
Beau Moylan, 16, died when the car he was driving hit a house in the Waitakere City suburb of Massey, where he lived, early yesterday.
He was the sole occupant of the car and was not wearing a seatbelt.
Constable Karl Bevin of the serious crash unit said speed and alcohol might have been contributing factors as it is believed the driver had just left a party.
Police were called to the scene of the accident on Triangle Rd around 5.30am.
When they arrived they found Beau Moylan's Nissan Skyline had veered off the road, crashed through fences and ended up upside down against the side of a house.
"The driver's injuries were compounded as the driver was unrestrained at the time of the crash," Mr Bevin said.
A person also died and three others were injured in an accident at Ohaeawai in Northland reported at 4.40pm yesterday.
Inspector Matt Sillars said no other vehicles were involved.
- NZPA
