Shocked Interislander ferry staff rushed to help a man who tumbled into their carpark after being thrown from a car crash on the motorway flyover 40 metres above.
The Honda car hit the barrier in the southbound lane of State Highway 1 near the Aotea Quay off-ramp inWellington about 10pm on Saturday.
One passenger was thrown on to the motorway and the other into the staff parking area near the Interislander ferry terminal, below the motorway.
Both men, aged 19 and 20, died at the scene. Their names have not yet been released by police.
Early investigations into the crash suggested the driver had not been drinking and the passengers were wearing seatbelts.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Donna Howard, of Wellington CIB, said the driver was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious condition. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Interislander spokesman Nigel Parry told the Dominion Post that three staff members rushed outside immediately after the crash to find a badly injured man lying on gravel, where he had landed metres from the terminal.
An ambulance spokesman said that, despite attempts to save him, he died before emergency services arrived.
Mr Parry said the staff members were receiving counselling after the "horrific" incident.
No passengers were in the area because no ferries were scheduled about that time, he said.
Ms Howard said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash as the driver, who remained in a serious condition in hospital, was yet to be formally interviewed. It was unclear if he would face any charges.
The men, all from Wellington, were travelling into the city from the north on a road that was wet from recent rain, she said.
Their deaths are the only Labour weekend road fatalities so far.
