Teenager jailed over crash which killed friend

A teenager who crashed the car he was driving, killing his best friend, while drunk has been jailed for two years.

Tauranga District Court was told Tony Drew Riddiford-Wilson was three times over the legal alcohol limit and was driving at more than twice the speed-limit when the crash happened in Christchurch last August.

Riddiford-Wilson, now aged 18, of Tauranga, was found to have had 91mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood -- the legal limit is 30mg for drivers under 20 years. He was also on a restricted driver's licence and travelling at 110km/h in a 50km/h zone when he hit a tree.

Judge Thomas Ingram sentenced Riddiford-Wilson to two years' jail -- with leave to apply for home detention -- for killing his front-seat passenger, Zane Bruce Heron. He had earlier pleaded guilty to driving with excess blood alcohol causing death.

Riddiford-Wilson was also convicted on two charges of driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury in relation to his friends, Chelsea Frith and Stacey Sutherland.

Judge Ingram disqualified him from driving for five years.

While the car's female occupants escaped with only minor injuries, the impact left Mr Heron with a pelvic fracture, cervical spine injury and a high-energy impact brain injury -- all of which led to his death.

Riddiford-Wilson also received a head injury, damage to his lungs and kidneys and was hospitalised for five weeks.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES