Elders bless scene of Wairarapa fatality

Maori elders blessed the scene of a fatal car crash in South Wairarapa this morning where the body of the 17-year-old crash victim lay covered on the road.

The Foxton teenager was a passenger in a Nissan sedan that had collided with a power pole on Kahutara Rd, near Featherston.

A woman driving along the road around 3am had alerted emergency services who arrived to find the teenager dead at the scene and the 18-year-old male driver trapped in the car with facial injuries.

The driver was flown to Wellington Hospital in a Life Flight Trust Westpac rescue helicopter.

Featherston fire chief Colin McKenna was one of the first to arrive at the crash scene and said both teens were trapped in the car, which had been slammed onto its side by the impact of ther collision.

He was unsure when the crash happened or how long they had been there.

Mr McKenna said the doors of the vehicle were removed to free the driver, who was conscious and appeared lucid.

The roadway was cordoned throughout the morning and a serious crash unit investigation has been launched into the fatality. Police are investigating whether speed or alchol was a factor.

Constable Raewyn Joblin, Masterton Police Maori liaison officer and Wairarapa kaumatua Mike Kawana performed a karakia, or prayer, before the body of the teenager was taken from the site by hearse about 10am.

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