Girl apologised to friend killed in Pukekohe crash

By LOUISA CLEAVE

They were both 15, friends since they had raced go-karts as children.

On Sunday, they were competing at speeds of 150km/h when their Formula Ford cars clipped each other on the track at the Pukekohe raceway.

Michael McHugh died in Middlemore Hospital four hours later.

Christina Orr came through the crash almost unscathed.

Yesterday, Michael's grieving parents, Steve and Dawn McHugh from Howick, told her not to blame herself for the crash and to continue racing in their son's memory.

After the collision on the final lap of a club race, Christina managed to regain control of her car but Michael hit an embankment on the outside of the track.

Christina's father, Will Orr from Edgecumbe, said the safety "cell" around her seat was intact and she walked away with a suspected broken finger.

She watched Michael's car go into the wall and could see he was not moving.

When she saw him later in the hospital, "I just said goodbye and if I did anything wrong I'm sorry. I kept apologising and I said, 'Goodbye, I'm going to miss you'," she told One News.

Steve and Dawn McHugh talked to her about the accident.

Mr Orr told the Herald: "I think it really, really helped that his parents said to her, 'We don't hold any blame. Go out racing and do it for Michael'."

The police serious crash team is investigating and the department said it was too early to reach any conclusions or say if any charges were likely.

Mr Orr and other motorsport enthusiasts said yesterday that many drivers had walked away from similar crashes and they believed the angle of the impact caused Michael's fatal injuries.

Christina returned to school yesterday but the crash was "another hurdle in life to get over", said Mr Orr. She wants to repair her car, which has been impounded by police, and compete in the national championships over the summer.

"She loves [racing], it's her passion. She has a positive attitude in life and she is going to follow her dream," said Mr Orr.

Ken Smith, who sold Michael McHugh his first Formula Ford car in March and was a mentor, said the young racer was a natural talent and had a bright future in motor racing.

Michael won North Island titles in kart racing three years in a row before moving up this year to Formula Ford.

The 1600cc racing car is a natural step for kart drivers and is the class in which top Kiwi driver Scott Dixon made his national debut.

Mr Smith said Michael showed similar promise to Dixon, whom he also mentored.

"[Michael] showed straight away he could drive a race car at great speed."

Michael won his debut race in Formula Ford two months ago in the first round of the winter series on the Manfeild racetrack in Feilding.

"He had a terrific nature. He was always cheerful and smiling and happy, and good for a joke," said Mr Smith. "He was a racing freak. He just loved race cars.

"Even on the weekends he was cleaning the car and making sure there was no dust on it before he went out on the next race."

Macleans College principal Byron Bentley said Michael, who was in Year 11, was a keen student and well liked by fellow students, who were shocked and distraught at his death.

"He was a very enthusiastic and bright young man. He was obviously an extremely high achiever in his chosen sport and very, very successful at it."

Michael took part in school activities but it was clear his main interest was in racing, in which he had represented Macleans in the Auckland secondary schools karting competition.

A friend of Steve and Dawn McHugh said they were too upset to speak publicly yesterday.

The couple also have a 12-year-old daughter, Kirsty.