KEY POINTS:
A Navy trainee has been killed after a car crash involving seven of his peers.
The group of eight sailors, who were travelling in a ute and a four-wheel-drive, had been at a friend's house in West Auckland on Saturday and were heading towards the city on the Northwestern Motorway.
The two cars collided about 7.30pm near the Pt Chevalier off-ramp, killing the 19-year-old sailor, who was a front-seat passenger in one of the cars.
A St John northern communications spokesperson said the teenager was dead when an ambulance arrived at the scene.
Two other people were taken to Auckland City Hospital with minor injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
A section of the motorway was closed for about four hours after the accident and diversions were put along Great North Rd.
Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin said the deceased sailor had just completed his branch naval training last Friday at the Devonport naval base and was due to start his on-the-job training.
The other seven are undergoing initial naval training.
"The Navy is saddened for the tragic death of a promising young man embarking on a new career and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this terrible time."
The Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Ledson, had also expressed his sincere condolences to the family, Commander Cassin said.
She declined to give any more information about the victim or others involved in the crash "out of respect for the family".
Asked if any of the sailors would be disciplined, Commander Cassin replied: "We will have to wait for the police to investigate the crash".
The serious crash unit is investigating the cause of the accident.
Sergeant Stu Kearns of the unit said he did not know yet if alcohol was a factor in the crash and staff were still investigating.
The Navy has come under fire in the past year for its drinking culture.
In March, Jasmine Annie Bastion, a 23-year-old able chef, was killed in a car crash near the Devonport base in which alcohol was thought to be involved. Alcohol is also believed to have been involved in alleged rapes at Devonport Naval Base and at Lyttelton last year.
The Devonport base has its own bar but the Navy has a campaign against drink-driving which includes breath-testing all drivers leaving base between 9pm and 6am Thursday to Saturday, and randomly at other times.
