Twelve teens in three-car crash

The close-knit South Island town of Milton is reeling after a three-car fatal crash left teenagers from 11 families scattered over 200m of highway early yesterday.

The crash has also sent a sobering message to some Milton youth obsessed with powerful, modified vehicles - the police said the crash scene "resembled a bomb site ... there were bodies everywhere".

Twelve Milton teenagers, aged 17 to 19, were involved in the crash on State Highway 1 about 5km north of Milton just after midnight.

Most of the teenagers' families have lived in the town of about 2000 people for most of their lives. Two of the teenagers are from one family.

Regan Michael Devlin, 19, an apprentice builder, died at the scene. He was a backseat passenger in a red Honda Civic.

Five of the other teenagers are still in hospital.

Two independent sources claim two of the cars in the crash, the modified red Honda Civic and a silver Subaru, were racing when one slid and clipped the other's rear. Both spun and collided.

The third car, a white Honda, was following them and apparently ploughed into the others.

Police would not comment on the theory the cars were racing, saying it was too early to know the exact cause.

Former Milton youth worker Andrew Philips said young people racing modified, powerful vehicles was not unique to Milton but such incidents tended to hit harder because it was such a tight-knit community.

"The cars today are so much quicker and some young ones have this mentality that something won't happen to them."

While not commenting directly on yesterday's crash, Mr Philips believed the driving age was too low.

"It may not have been an issue in this crash but I feel it's too easy for young kids to get their driver's licence."

Most of the teenagers were former pupils of Tokomairiro High School and principal Lindsay Laing said there seemed to be a culture among teenagers to have the "latest and greatest" car.

Many young people took a great interest in modifying their vehicles, which was great from an engineering point of view because it gave them valuable skills, but was not helped by a small minority who wanted to test their vehicles to the limit.

The crash tragedy would be keenly felt around the school grounds.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES