Driver who ploughed into family van 'disqualified, and likely drunk'

A 7-year-old Auckland boy who was one of nine people injured when a van was hit by a suspected drunk driver on New Year's Day has been praised for helping hospital staff interpret for his Chinese family.

John Pan was one of eight Chinese residents of Mt Roskill on a family outing to the Waitomo Caves when the van he was travelling in was hit by a car that crossed the centre line.

Police said the car's 34-year-old male driver was a disqualified driver and was believed to have been drinking. The man's 37-year-old partner, Robyn Tara Howell, was a passenger in the northbound car and died at the scene. She came from Kihikihi, just south of Te Awamutu, where the crash happened.

The Mt Roskill group, who were related and included a newlywed couple, were southbound on State Highway 3 when the collision occurred.

Seven were initially in a critical condition, and the two remained in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital's intensive care unit last night.

They were the van's 31-year-old driver, Dong Dong Huang, who suffered multiple fractures and serious facial injuries, and a 59-year-old woman, who remained in an induced coma.

Mr Huang was recently married and his 20-year-old wife, Yan Pan, was in a stable condition with abdominal injuries, as was a 33-year-old woman whose leg was shattered.

Four ambulances were needed to ferry the injured to hospital.

The car's driver injured his leg and was also in a stable condition in the hospital's high-dependency unit.

"Everything that you could do wrong, he was doing wrong," Acting Sergeant Mark Strongman of Te Awamutu said. "We have an idiot who's most likely drunk, definitely disqualified, crossing centre lines and trying to kill families and his own partner. It's just horrendous."

He said Ms Howell was a long-time resident of Kihikihi and her loss would be keenly felt. Police were awaiting results of a blood test from the driver but had been told he was drinking.

Seven-year-old John Pan spent a night in Waikato's children's ward after the crash with minor bruising and for neurological observation but was discharged yesterday.

His 47-year-old father Bill and 17-year-old brother Jackie were also injured, and both were in a stable condition last night. Jackie was expected to be discharged today after suffering minor abdominal injuries caused by his seatbelt.

Waikato Hospital spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said very few of the injured group could speak English and 7-year-old John had been outstanding in giving the hospital staff information.

"Communication could've been a real, real problem," she said. "It was a family trip out, so knowing the relationship between them all was really important, and that's where this young boy was so helpful, and incredibly brave."

The hospital also had two Mandarin-speaking doctors, who were able to communicate with the group, all of whom are New Zealand citizens or residents.

A Cantonese interpreter also assisted.

A delegation from the Chinese consulate in Auckland visited the injured late on New Year's Day.

A 35-year-old passenger in the van, who was the son of the 59-year-old woman, was treated at the hospital on the day of the crash and discharged.

Police spent yesterday at the hospital interviewing the injured.