Death a grisly lesson in bad driving habits

How to kill yourself on the road in 4 easy ways
• Speed.
• Alcohol.
• Unsafe vehicle.
• No seatbelt.
They're the all too common factors in vehicle smashes on Northland roads.
And when father of four Patrick Waru ticked all four boxes it proved a deadly combination on the final day of last year.
What should have been a time of celebration and welcoming 2008 in style became a night of tragedy for all those who knew and loved the 24-year-old man from Kaikohe.
Land Transport statistics show that December is the worst month for crashes on Northland's roads and last year alcohol played a part in 21 per cent of all injury crashes in the region.
A coroner's court heard how Mr Waru had been the driver of an unwarranted, unregistered van, had been drinking, was travelling at 100km/h in a 50km/h zone, and was not wearing a seatbelt on December 31 last year.
He was driving towards Omapere, about 3km south of Opononi, when he lost control on a moderate bend, crashed off the road and slammed into a tree.
His 16-year-old passenger, Levis Reeves, was not injured and told the court how he had been dozing but woke when he felt the van swerve violently.
"I remember the van was sliding. I opened my eyes and saw the culvert coming and then there was a loud bang when we connected with the tree," Levis Reeves said.
"I remember looking over at the speedo and it was about 100km/h."
Levis Reeves said their plan was to have a beer on the beach to celebrate New Year's Eve.
They took Mr Waru's van, which had repairs done earlier in the day to prepare it for a warrant check and registration.
Levis Reeves said they drank a box of 15 pre-mix drinks then stopped at the Opononi Hotel for "a quick can" before buying more pre-mix drinks.
They crashed while returning to Omapere.
A post mortem found Mr Waru had a blood alcohol level of 200 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood - more than double the legal limit of 80 milligrams.
Following the crash the van was inspected and it was found there were mismatched tyres on the front, visible cords in the tyres, an imbalance in the rear brakes and an ineffective handbrake.
During the hearing, Mr Waru's mother Dawn said she had gone with her husband to clean up at the crash scene. She spoke to a neighbour who witnessed the crash and who described the van "low flying" into the tree.
Northland police traffic boss Inspector Clifford Paxton said the number of people chancing their lives behind the wheel while drunk was increasing alarmingly despite the massive push to educate people about the dangers.
"There is still a sector in the community who keep doing this despite all the messages in the media and the increased number of police dedicated to stopping drink-driving. It's happening on a daily basis in Northland," Mr Paxton said.
Coroner Brandt Shortland found Mr Waru died from multiple injuries sustained in the accident. A full report will be released later.
* Crash course makes impact
Smashed glass. Scattered bodies. Screaming girls.
An horrific car accident took place in Whangarei on Friday, attended by police, fire and ambulance.
Shocked students watched as mates sprawled out of mangled cars, screaming over injured - or dead - passengers.
Fortunately, the whole scene was a set-up.
It was a mock-crash, on the netball courts at Whangarei Girls' High School, organised by the school's Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) team.
The crash capped off SADD Week, and highlighted what can happen when students drink and drive.
A crowd of about 200 students gathered to watch the accident scene. Drama students smeared with fake blood played the part of the car passengers, who were in various states of injury, shock and anger.
While the melodrama - with commentary by a Whangarei Fire Service senior station officer - drew a few giggles, the subject matter was poignant and most onlookers were transfixed.
A group of Year 10 students said the display made them even more aware of not drinking and driving.
The girls were impressed with the work of the fire officers, who removed the roof of one of the smashed cars using the "jaws of life" to extract a trapped actor - stepping over another who lay "dead" on the ground.
SADD's co-leader, Year 13 student Kim Simpson, told the crowd to think about what they'd seen.
"Today's message is to always have a sober driver or safe way of getting home when you go out to a party or wherever," she said. "Even if you have to pull straws, play a game to decide - whatever. You've always got to have a sober D.
"You don't want to lose someone in your family, or your best mate. Just rethink your options."