KEY POINTS:
Luke McCrostie had planned his last race on his quad bike because he felt he could no longer fit the racing into his busy schedule.
Tragically, the Central Otago teenager's final race was also the last act of his life.
The 18-year-old crashed and died after apparently trying
to avoid another rider who lost control on Cromwell's Central Speedway Track on Saturday night. His father arrived at the track just before he died.
Luke was one of three teenagers killed in a series of motorcycle-type accidents in a horrific weekend in which two other people were also injured.
Southlanders Richard Alan Dale, 19, and Cameron Ian McClintock, 15, were killed on Saturday when their motocross bikes collided on a farm in Riversdale, Southland. Both were wearing protective gear and were described as "very competent riders".
Brendon John Phillips, 27, was in the same race as Luke McCrostie when he was injured while also taking evasive action on his quad bike. He was being treated in hospital yesterday, but his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
In another accident, a 14-year-old girl suffered suspected back and chest injuries after rolling her quad bike on a rural property just north of Wairoa during a fundraising ride on Saturday. She was flown by rescue helicopter to Hawkes Bay Regional Hospital for treatment.
Luke McCrostie's devastated father, Alan, yesterday told the Herald his son had been racing his quad bike for about a year, and Saturday night was meant to be his final race.
His son had just sold his quad bike and was to hand it over to the new owner after the race.
Mr McCrostie said he had spoken to his son about safety. "Any type of extreme sport like that has a risk. It was just one of those freak things. You can't blame anybody."
He said his son could simply no longer find the time to race. Luke was a full-time builder, a volunteer firefighter, a weekend DJ who also provided sound and lighting at events, and played guitar and drums and tutored other young musicians.
"He ripped the guts out of our lounge at Christmas time and it's still not back together again. How he had time for a girlfriend, I don't know.
"He was a kid with so much talent, you wouldn't believe. He was such a good communicator and people just loved him."
All the weekend's accidents are being investigated.
Crashes kill three
A woman died and her male passenger suffered serious head injuries when their car and a milk tanker collided last night at the intersection of Tirau St and Harry Martin Drive in Putaruru.
It was the weekend's second fatal accident in the Waikato.
On Friday, a car driven by a 16-year-old boy crashed at an intersection on State Highway 27 17km north of Morrinsville, killing his girlfriend and another teenager.
The victims were Amy Gardiner, 22, a mother of two, and Chad James Arnold, 15, both from Huntly.
The car, driven by Jesse Owen Kennerley-Williams of Waihi Beach, collided with a four-wheel-drive after apparently going through a stop sign. He is expected to face charges.
The two occupants of the 4WD suffered minor injuries.
- NZPA