Crash teen escapes serious injury

LUCKY ESCAPE: The driver of this car escaped unharmed when he crashed his car on the Masterton-Castlepoint Rd.PHOTO/VOMLE SPRINGFORD

A Masterton teenager escaped with just a scratch on his hand, after the car he was driving crashed into a bank and rolled on the Masterton-Castlepoint Rd, east of Tauweru yesterday.

The 17-year-old, who did not want to be named, said he felt extremely lucky and said: "If I was old enough, I'd get a Lotto ticket."

He was driving back to Masterton around 4.30pm after mountain biking at a friend's place near Tinui when the crash happened.

Masterton police Constable Olivia Gavin said when she arrived on the scene she was expecting something worse.

She said it appeared the teen had lost control after coming around the corner too fast, went into the bank and rolled, landing the car upside down on the road.

"He climbed out of the car with a scratch on his hand.

"I can't believe it. He is a lucky, lucky boy."

A policeman also at the scene agreed and said the teen had been wearing a seatbelt, which would have saved his life.

Bonnie Laing, mother of the friend the driver had been hanging out with, said she felt goosebumps when they got the call.

"I got a phone call saying 'Help me, I've crashed in the middle of the road, upside down'."

She said young drivers needed to take more care and the road could be quite treacherous. "The roads are quite deceiving."

The driver was checked over by ambulance crew and a tow truck cleared the car off the road about 5.30pm.