Sharing life lesson: Don't drink, drive

It may well have been just another Saturday night. But it's a life story for crash tragedy survivor Jared Thomas who, despite being confined to a wheelchair, is taking to the road to help further cut the road toll.

Just another Saturday night, a DVD prepared by Roadsafe Hawke's Bay and police was launched in Napier this week and will be shown at a youth health expo in Rotorua next week. It carries the message of the tragedy and is being sought for showings in Manawatu and Nelson and has already had an airing in Nuie.

Mr Thomas couldn't get to Nuie, it would have been a bit difficult, he said but he would travel to the Bay of Plenty for next's week showing and to speak to teenagers.

Behind him is the tragic night of December 1, 2007, and a high-speed, alcohol-related car crash on a Brookfield Rd bend between Meeanee and Pakowhai.

There were two deaths - driver and brother Willie Flynn and passenger Richard Starr Harmer.

The two other passengers were seriously injured, including Mr Thomas, who was trapped in the wreck wrapped around a tree. He spent six weeks in an induced coma fighting for his life in hospital, and started recovery in Christchurch's Burwood Spine Unit, knowing he would never walk again.

The DVD is the latest stage of a commitment he made as he began his rehabilitation.

He first told his story publicly more than a year ago, and featured at the Youth Alcohol Expo in Napier in May. He will be there again when the expo is held at Pettigrew.Green Arena on April 30-May 4, 2012.

He said he had made a decision he wanted to help other young people avoid the types of tragedy he had been involved in, with messages about it and how it could have been prevented.

He maintained contact with Senior Constable Ian Cheyne and Roadsafe HB regional manager Linda Anderson. "We kept talking about how the message can be kept out there," Ms Anderson said.

This week's launch at The Globe Theatre, Ahuriri, displayed the resulting DVD to health, education and other services from as far away as Taranaki and Nelson.