Dying student asks for his mum

Sam Goodsell-Matthews’ coffin is carried out after his funeral. As he lay dying, he asked a passer-by to contact his mother. Photos / Herald on Sunday, supplied

Sam Goodsell-Matthews knew his mother would be worried about him and gave a passer-by his mother's phone number as he lay dying on a North Shore road.

The 18-year-old died at Auckland Hospital where he was rushed after being struck by a car while he was crossing Glenfield Rd near the intersection of Downing St.

Sergeant Stu Kearns said police were still investigating the cause of the crash, and no one had yet been charged.

Residents on Glenfield Rd told the Herald on Sunday they heard the impact when the car struck Sam, and ran outside to help.

One woman, who would not be named, said Sam was calm. "He was coherent enough to give his phone number and say that his mother would be worried," she said.

Another neighbour said: "The car that hit him was a mess. The windscreen was shattered and you could see where he'd hit it."

A doctor and nurse from the Glenfield White Cross medical clinic treated Sam until paramedics arrived.

Later, a St John Ambulance spokeswoman said Sam had serious injuries but could not give any specific detail.

At his funeral yesterday mother Sara Goodsell described Sam as intelligent, patient and a "bit of a mummy's boy". She said he was passionate about music, photography and computers.

"He was a great tennis player and also dabbled in table tennis, rugby, basketball and hockey."

Sam grew up on the North Shore, attending Sunnyvale School, Northcote Intermediate and then going to Northcote College.

He had just started a Bachelor of Science in computer science.

Glenfield residents said near-misses were common at the busy junction where Sam was hit, outside the Westfield Glenfield shopping centre.

"This happens nearly every day, I'm not kidding. You're dicing with death here," a woman said.

Police are also investigating a fatal crash in the early hours of yesterday morning in Henderson, West Auckland.

Kearns said a Subaru appeared to be driving on the wrong side of the road when it collided with a taxi van.

The driver of the van died on the way to hospital and two other people had to be cut from the wreckage. Both were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.

Night attendant at the nearby 24-hour Caltex station, Amirul Amin, said,

"We ran over to see what had happened and there was metal and glass all over the road. It was total carnage."

And a six-vehicle pile-up north of Wellington left 12 people in hospital - but none with serious injuries.

The 12 people were taken to hospital after a crash on State Highway 1 between Otaki and Levin on Friday night involving five cars and a motorbike.

Four of the injured people were from Stratford, on their way to a men's retreat with the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship at Forest Lakes centre.

Tom Auckram, the area leader of the fellowship, said one man had undergone surgery but two others had been discharged and were able to join the retreat.

Ten of the injured people were transported to Palmerston North Hospital and two to Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua. Police were still investigating the cause of the crash, but said it blocked both the north and southbound lanes of SH1 for more than an hour.