Crash deaths 'devastate' community

Grief was still raw in storm-swept Waihi Beach yesterday, where a tight-knit community was battling to come to terms with the loss of three of its own.
"Devastating" was the word most residents yesterday used to describe the horror smash on Friday night that claimed the lives of decorated soldier and father-of-three Mark Sydney, 45, and teenagers Dylan Perkinson, 17, and Vance Williams, 16.
Two other Waihi Beach teenagers, who were in the vehicle being driven by Dylan, today remain in Waikato Hospital where one is fighting for his life.
They are 17-year-old Brennan Mayor, who was this morning in a critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit, and 16-year-old Kane Stewart, who was in a stable condition and recovering in the high-dependency unit.
The crash happened at 11.45pm near Waihi Cemetery on State Highway 2.
Dylan was driving on a restricted licence, not wearing a seatbelt and speeding, and on the wrong side of the road, police said.
Mr Sydney had just finished his shift at Spring Hill Corrections Facility and was 10 minutes from home when his vehicle was struck by the car carrying the teenagers.
Their out-of-control Subaru crossed the centre line into the path of Mr Sydney's Nissan, splitting it in two, according to preliminary inquiries.
Dylan and Vance, who were in the front seat, were thrown from the Subaru. It is believed neither were wearing seatbelts.
Mr Sydney was killed and his body trapped in his vehicle. No one else was in his car.
A third vehicle travelling close behind was unable to avoid the crash but the driver - Arushi Arushi - suffered only minor injuries.
Police Sergeant Dave Litton said: "It's the worst accident I've ever seen in my 12 years. It was like a war zone."
He said wet weather, alcohol and speed were factors.
"It's the worst job you could ever do - to knock on four sets of parents' doors and the wife of the dead man in the middle of the night to inform them there had been a crash. The hard thing for all the emergency services was they all knew some of the people there. Those four boys are a talented group of young guys. In no way were they troublemakers."
Mr Sydney's brother-in-law, Steve Hawkes, said the crash robbed a family of a husband and father - and took a hero from New Zealand.
"Everyone's devastated. He really loved his wife and boys and he was an asset to New Zealand," he said.
Mr Sydney spent more than 20 years in the army and his overseas postings included Bosnia and Afghanistan. In 2007 he was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005 and 2006.
Mr Sydney and his wife, Andrea, had recently built their dream home in Katikati.
Vance Williams, the youngest son of Sandra and Kevin, had lived at Waihi Beach all his life. Sister Charmaine, 24, said he was a funny guy who talked non-stop. He was survived by brothers Konrad, 23, and Arva, 20.
Vance played rugby for Waihi College, surfed and played roller hockey. Eileen Coulter, whose son Shaq was friends with Vance, said he was "conscientious and safe".
Arushi, 22, reached the crash scene seconds after the impact while heading home to Tauranga.
She swerved through the wreckage into a paddock, sustaining minor chest and arm injuries. She said she had been unable to sleep since the crash.
Sandra Tocker was watching television when she heard a sound "like an explosion".
She heard a girl crying for help and rushed out to find a car in the front paddock. She saw one of the teenagers dead in the middle of the road and another lying dead "next to the wreckage of the Subaru".
Dozens of grieving friends of the teenagers gathered at the crash site on Saturday to lay cards and flowers.
Jackie Wenham, who works at Waihi Beach Chemist, said about 100 teens congregated at the site.
Ms Wenham described Vance as a "neat kid" and said it had only been two weeks ago that she heard his giggles while camped in the backyard next door to her.
Another Waihi Beach storekeeper, Jan Dudding, said: "It's shown we are a tight community and it's absolutely rocked us all."
Other retailers approached by the Bay of Plenty Times, all of whom knew at least one of the teenagers or their families, described the tragedy as "shocking" and "devastating".
The mood was also sombre at the Waihi Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, where Brennan is an active member. Morgan Sloog, 14, described his mate Brennan as a "good guy" and a stand-out rower with the club.
Kane was due to return to Katikati College this year while the other three went to Waihi College.
Waihi College principal Alistair Cochrane said a staff meeting would be held today to discuss what support could be offered to both staff and pupils.
Waihi Beach Community Board chairman Murray Craig said the teenagers were good kids who "made a bad decision".
"They're just kids being kids - 16- and 17-year-olds climbed into a car at nearly midnight and that was the first mistake."
- With APN News and Media