The Police Serious Crash Unit found Phoenix Boltar was using a dark-tinted visor at the time of the crash, which was not approved for nighttime use as it limited rider visibility.
The Police Serious Crash Unit found Phoenix Boltar was using a dark-tinted visor at the time of the crash, which was not approved for nighttime use as it limited rider visibility.
The father of a 17-year-old motorcyclist who died from blunt-force injuries in an accident believes one different decision that night could have saved his son’s life.
Phoenix Luca Boltar died in 2024 after the motorcycle he was riding hit a grass embankment on a roadside, launching him and thebike into the air before striking a concrete power pole.
His father Andre Boltar addressed Coroner Ian Telford in writing, saying his son made some bad decisions that night with “each error compounding the last”.
“However, we believe the overriding one which, if removed from the chain of events, would likely still have saved his life, is that he wore a dark-tinted visor that night.
“As motorcyclists ourselves, we know full-well the inability to see through a tinted visor at night even in a well street-lit environment and the danger involved.”
According to a coroner’s decision released today, it was 9pm on October 30 when Phoenix was riding his motorcycle southbound on Dairy Flat Highway in Auckland.
About the same time, a police officer travelling northbound recorded his speed at 96km/h in an area with a posted speed limit of 80km/h.
The officer activated their lights and began a 180-degree turn to follow him.
As they did, the student accelerated away, and the officer lost sight of him and terminated the pursuit.
He continued south for about 1km before turning left on to Wilks Rd, where he overtook another road user at speed and continued southeast for about 540m towards a moderate right-hand bend.
As he attempted to negotiate the bend, the motorcycle veered left and entered the northern road shoulder.
The impact redirected Phoenix and the motorcycle westward, where they came to rest on the northern road shoulder, adjacent to the eastbound lane.
The finding said it was apparent he had sustained unsurvivable injuries and his death was formally verified at the scene by an attending paramedic.
The intersection of Dairy Flat Highway and Wilks Rd. Google Maps
Coroner Telford said Andre Boltar’s letter served to further underscore the “profound and unimaginable tragedy now faced by so many in the wake of this young man’s death”.
“The New Zealand Transport Agency [NZTA] regularly promotes key messages about motorcycle road safety, including well-known advice on managing speed, staying attentive, and wearing appropriate safety gear.
“However, Phoenix’s case draws attention to a perhaps less widely known aspect of this guidance: that dark or tinted glasses, visors or goggles should never be worn while riding at night.
“I commend this advice to all motorcyclists, as well as to the parents and guardians of young riders, alongside the broader advice on night riding available on the NZTA website.”
The Police Serious Crash Unit (SCU) found Phoenix was using a dark-tinted visor at the time of the crash, which was not approved for nighttime use as it limited rider visibility.
While no environmental factors were considered causative, it was relevant that it was dark and there was no road lighting where the collision occurred, the SCU said.
The bike was inspected, and no faults were found that could have contributed to the crash, Phoenix was appropriately licensed and alcohol and drugs were not contributing factors.
The teen had accumulated 50 demerit points on his licence, with the latest infringement notice issued on September 9, 2024.
His behaviour after being observed by the patrolling police officer prior to the crash, along with the witness account of his movements on Wilks Rd, suggested his attention was likely diverted.
The SCU also noted he was not wearing any body armour at the time of the crash, which could have lessened the severity of his injuries.
The scene evidence suggested the bike entered the right-hand bend near the centreline of the roadway, which in turn naturally forced the motorcycle and rider to the outer edge line of the lane as it exited the bend.
Phoenix only had two months’ riding experience on the motorcycle and it was suggested rider experience was a possible contributing factor in the collision.
The SCU analyst concluded that the combination of speed, rider visibility, riding experience and diverted attention suggested Phoenix was not prepared and/or equipped as he entered the moderate right-hand bend.
“In my view, this succinctly and accurately captures the circumstances that led to Phoenix’s crash.”
Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.
