KEY POINTS:
Nathan King was supposed to be gone for five minutes to return a DVD. Instead, the 28-year-old engineer died in a head-on collision.
The tragedy has prompted his parents to say, "The drink-driving message is not getting through".
The Canterbury man was killed when the car he was driving collided with a four-wheel-drive vehicle on Marshland Rd, north of Christchurch, on Friday night.
His distraught parents, Mervyn and Carol King, told the Herald on Sunday they hoped the other driver realised what he had done.
"He's torn our lives apart," Mervyn said. "He [Nathan] was taken for no reason. I don't want to know that my son died because of another person's drinking. The drink-driving message is not getting through."
Both said it was unfair Nathan had died while the other driver escaped with "cuts and bruises".
The driver of the other vehicle was taken to hospital with minor injuries but discharged yesterday.
He had been processed for drink-driving and police were waiting for the blood-alcohol results before making a decision on charges.
Detective Sergeant Greg Cottam said police wanted to hear from anyone who had seen the accident.
"Once again an innocent life has been lost due to what is expected to be drunk-driving."
King had lived in Australia for two years and moved back to live with his parents before Christmas to save money. He had been trying to find a flat and continue his career as an electronics engineer.
A 57-year-old father from Levin also died on Friday night when his station wagon crossed the centre line and hit a truck. He was cut from his vehicle but died in an ambulance on the way to hospital.
Senior Constable Chris Craig, of Bulls police, said the accident happened on a straight stretch of road and the driver had not driven far. Alcohol, speed and fatigue were all possible factors. "This is a reminder for drivers to keep to the speed limit and to take regular breaks," he said.
Also on Friday night, a man in his early 20s was seriously injured when the four-wheel-drive vehicle he was driving rolled five times in Maungakaramea, Northland.
Sergeant Graham Povey, of Whangarei police, said drink and speed may have been involved because it happened in the early hours of the morning.
Meanwhile, a 60- year-old Wanganui man was knocked unconscious when his motorcycle skidded on a dead hedgehog yesterday. He was taken to hospital. Police said his helmet prevented serious injuries.
