Cop pulled two from crash

Mike O'Leary has been hailed a hero after rescuing two childern from the burning wreck.

The family which lost four members in a school holiday road crash last night told how they wanted to meet the off-duty police officer who pulled two children from the burning wreck.

Inspector Mike O'Leary has been hailed a hero after rescuing Kawana Kemp, 9, and his nephew Amethyst, 2, from a three-car collision about 20km north of Taupo on Friday afternoon.

O'Leary tried to rescue the others trapped in the van but was forced back by the flames.

Those who died were: Georgina Taitapanui, known as Georgie, 45; her daughter Anna-Marie Kemp, 23; her adopted son Ratapu, 2; and Anna-Marie's partner Wallace.

The other person to die in the accident was Peter Pie, 42, of Turangi.

Georgie's brother-in-law Ken Burdgan said the family had sympathy, understanding and thanks for O'Leary, who is Eastern Police operations manager. "I can understand he hurts too. I'd like to go and thank him in person. The whole family would like to thank him. We are relieved that he was able to save two. It's just a relief that he actually found them."

O'Leary spoke yesterday of how the accident happened as he and his family travelled south to Hawkes Bay.

As they drove, there was a loud boom and the Kemp family vehicle - which O'Leary was behind - spun in the air before barrel-rolling down a bank.

O'Leary organised traffic control, ensured a 111 call was made, and checked on Pie, who lay dead or dying.

After speaking briefly to Pie's daughter, Kirstin, 11, who was injured, he became aware the van was upside down and burning.

He said "Two kids were halfway out of a window that didn't open", and with help from his 15-year-old son Conor and another man who he remembers as "Peter Booth", pulled Amethyst free.

He then turned back to the flames for Kawana, who told the officer "it's burning me, it's burning,".

"The flames were so involved and the smoke so poisonous it was not safe for anybody. I was telling this kid 'I can't get you out, I can't'. At that moment something helped me. I was not prepared to let a 9-year-old boy die."

O'Leary was passed a pocket knife and reached into the burning car to start cutting Kawana's seatbelt.

"And then suddenly it was like we were rewarded. He came out and it was the greatest sensation."

He knew there was at least one other person - a man - still alive in the vehicle but he had gone quiet by the time the second boy was removed.

"I can tell you that man was very brave," O'Leary said. "Conor told me he said 'just get the kids out'."

It was only afterwards O'Leary noticed severe blistering on his left hand.

Family gathered at the Kemp family home in Hastings last night told the Herald on Sunday of their loss.

Georgie had seven sisters and three brothers. She had five daughters and one son with Raymond Kemp, her partner of 28 years, from whom she was separated.

The family had been in Auckland for school holidays for 10 days.

Georgie's brother-in-law Ken Burdgan said Raymond "was not taking the news very well - he is devastated".

He said: " They were all great people. Georgie was a great mother, she brought her kids up well. We are all devastated."

Sister-in-law Makere Taitapanui said Georgie "was awesome".

"We are praying they died before they got burned so they didn't feel all that pain."

The police hoped to release the bodies on Monday night when they would be taken to Kutarere marae in Whakatane.

The accident happened after a black Chrsyler driven by Pie struck a BMW driven by Aucklander Nigel Li, 19.

Li was driving home with his girlfriend when he saw the Chrysler passing a car behind him.

Pie was forced to pull in quickly because of traffic coming the other way.

The impact pushed Pie's Chrysler across the centre line and into the Kemp's people-mover.

Pie, 42, came to New Zealand from South Africa four years ago.

His wife Debbie was last night at the Waikato Hospital bedside of their daughter Kirstin Leigh Pie, 11, who was seriously injured in the crash.

Senior Sergeant Fane Troy said Taupo police were still seeking information about the black Chrysler, that was seen driving "erratically" before the crash.

- additional reporting Hawke's Bay Today, Grant Harding, Rebecca Lewis and Heather McCracken