Men lucky to survive speed crash

A young man was fighting for his life last night and another four were lucky to be alive after a high-speed crash involving racers north west of Auckland yesterday.

Two cars careered off the main road west of Kumeu and rolled several times after they failed to take a bend at high speed just before 1am.

The driver of one of the cars, Jason Brown, believed to be in his mid-to-late 20s, was in a serious condition in Auckland Hospital's intensive-care unit yesterday.

The driver of the other car, Tony Anderson, 24, and his three passengers were discharged from North Shore Hospital yesterday morning after treatment for moderate injuries.

Police said it appeared the cars, which were "extensively damaged" in the crash, had been racing each other before they left the road.

Kumeu petrol station attendant Allan Bell, who saw the two white Toyota cars drive past shortly before the crash, said he looked up because of the noise one of the cars was making. "The engine was screaming, just screaming," he said.

The car's engine was labouring to keep up with a smaller car a few metres ahead that chopped into top gear just as it drove by the garage.

"When they passed the garage, they were low-flying. And I mean low-flying," Mr Bell said. "I didn't expect them to make the first corner, let alone the second."

Mr Bell estimated the cars were travelling at least 125km/h. Tracks on the road indicated one car swerved left into a hedge, while the other swerved right into a fence on the other side of the road.

The young men had been at a Kumeu bar before the crash and had been planning to drive into town in one car.

Tony's father Wayne Anderson said his son had a few bruises and was "in shock, of course" but was otherwise "alright". He said he didn't know if his son or the other four men, who were all friends, had been drinking before the crash or if speed was a factor. "I only know what I used to do," he said.

Mr Anderson, who owns several V8 racing cars and who used to race regularly, said he had always discouraged his son from speeding around the streets. "The tracks are the place for that."


- HERALD ON SUNDAY