Three girls drown after car crashes into Waikato River

UPDATE - Three teenagers are dead and a man who fled the scene is facing charges after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed through a bridge and plunged into the Waikato River yesterday.

Alcohol and speed are believed to have been factors in the early-morning crash.

The bodies of two girls, both believed to be from the Melville area and students at Melville High School, were recovered from the wreckage yesterday while a third girl, 15-year-old Hayley Forbes, was still missing and presumed drowned.

The missing girl's father, John Forbes, today said that kaumatua had blessed the area and asked for the Waikato River taniwha to give up his daughter. Taniwhas are mythical creatures that Maori believe act as guardians of the river.

Hayley was the niece and close friend of one of the girls killed in the crash, 14-year-old Kristin Kara Armstrong, from Melville.

The driver of the silver Subaru Legacy, a Tokoroa man, was yesterday interviewed by police and was expected to be charged, although exactly with what was still to be decided.

The front-seat passenger, a 21-year-old Hamilton man believed to be a cousin of the driver, was recovering at home yesterday with broken ribs and a broken arm. He was also interviewed extensively by police.

Both men were breath tested by police but it was at least five hours after the accident.

After escaping the wreckage and swimming to shore, it is believed they left the scene with one man being picked up by a Hamilton courier driver who took him home and then alerted police.

The driver made his own way home where his family contacted police around 11am before taking him in for questioning.

The father of one of the girls believed to have been killed last night told the Herald on Sunday he was "absolutely positive" alcohol had been a factor in the accident.

His wife had been told his 16-year-old daughter may have been in the crash by the parents of the other two victims.

"I think they were partying, I think they were pissed . . . the little buggers," he said.

"I told them to leave it [the alcohol] alone."

He said his daughter had gone out for the night with friends and had not come home as expected.

He had gone to work as usual at 7am yesterday morning and was told of the tragedy by his wife.

"I am really angry about what has happened. I am sure alcohol was involved."

Whanau members were last night gathering at the home of the front-seat passenger in the crash to offer moral support.

They declined to comment about the accident, but others milling around the house confirmed he and the driver were related.

One onlooker said the driver of the vehicle was the owner of the car and had been in Hamilton visiting friends and family. He and his partner were expecting a baby.

Hamilton city area commander Inspector Paul Carpenter said it was believed speed and a wet road may have been factors in the accident.

He also alluded to alcohol as another factor in the accident.

"It's a difficult situation for everyone to deal with. This is an unnecessary death," he said.

"There are three innocent young women who have been killed in this accident."

Police were still confirming the identities of the three dead passengers and would only saying they believed two were related and one was a friend.

The brother of one of the girls believed to have been killed said he was "just waiting, just hoping" although he believed hope was in short supply.

He said the girls had been in Victoria St Friday night and were picked up around 11pm by the driver of the vehicle.

They then dropped off one girl - believed to be a sister of one of the victims - around 1am.

He was unsure what the movements of the rest of the people in the car had been after that.

However, it is understood two of the girls believed to have been killed had ignored their 1am curfew and may have carried on partying into the small hours.

The MP's response

Alcohol, speed and teenagers - a lethal combination, say MPs promoting calls for youngsters to take more care on the roads.

In the wake of yesterday's horror crash in Hamilton which claimed three young lives, politicians issued a wakeup call to young drivers.

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven described the accident as "absolutely tragic".

"We don't know the cause yet or whether alcohol was involved for sure, but the mix of powerful cars and alcohol is always difficult," he said.

"We have concerns about it - the real difficulty is how do you control young people, how do you convince young people to behave in a way which is responsible?

"Our sympathies go out to their families and parents. But it is very difficult to change the behaviour of young people."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY