Gorge crash victim named

Police inspect the wreckage of the car that plunged into the Manawatu Gorge. Photo / Nathan Crombie

The man killed when his car crashed into the Manawatu Gorge near Ashhurst yesterday morning has been named as 38-year-old Darren Ellis from Upper Hutt.

Police divers found the body of Mr Ellis 20m from the submerged car, which rocketed through a barrier like a "scud missile", plunging 30m into the gorge.

Central serious crash unit Senior Constable Les Maddaford said witnesses saw the Subaru Impreza stationwagon travelling through the Manawatu Gorge about 7.35am towards Woodville.

It was going about 100km/h and crashed through the barrier before plummeting into the river.

A witness saw the vehicle leave the road at speed and within minutes the car had sunk beneath the dirty waters of the swollen river.

"He went off the cliff like a rocket and straight through the barrier," the witness said.

"A truckie coming the other way got down there with me but all we could see was an oil slick. Then a pair of shoes came floating up and an All Black cap."

Maddaford said there were no visible tyre marks on the road. The car had destroyed about 20m of barrier at the top of the cliff.

Maddaford said because of the speed, the car "had the capability of going off that drop like a scud missile".

"There are a multitude of things that could have happened. We'll have to inspect the vehicle for faults and check the driver's background for medical or personal issues."

Police divers from Wellington found the body about 6pm.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old man received serious head injuries last night after his Honda Civic and a Suzuki Swift collided in Whenuapai, West Auckland.

Constable Aaron Case said the Suzuki was travelling north along Riverlea Rd and about to turn into a driveway when it collided with the southbound Honda.

The Sukuzi driver, 79, suffered minor injuries in the accident, which happened at about 6.30pm.

And in Tauranga, a man was in a serious condition in Tauranga Hospital yesterday after the car in which he was a passenger lost control and crashed into a wooden power pole in Greerton about 9.45am.

An eyewitness said the driver "jumped out of the car and wrapped his hands around his head and started screaming".

Powerlines were strewn across the ground.

And a motorcyclist was in a serious condition after losing control of his Harley-Davidson on a remote road near Omakau in Central Otago.

He suffered serious chest injuries and broken bones.

- with NZPA