Mother in fatal crash doing 150km/h

By CLAIRE TREVETT

Janine Rua was seen driving at up to 150km/h before a head-on crash near Kaitaia that killed her, her baby and a man in another vehicle.

Police believe Janine Toni Rua, also known as Janine Edwards, had been drinking before the crash that also claimed the life of 10-month-old Precious Maree Rua.

Ms Rua's car crossed the centreline of State Highway 1 on a curve just north of Kaitaia about 6 o'clock on Monday night, hitting a four-wheel-drive vehicle and killing 53-year-old David Brent O'Gorman.

Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn of Kaitaia said Ms Rua had apparently been drinking alcohol at a friend's house.

Witnesses said she overtook them just before the crash at speeds between 130km/h and 150km/h on the 70km/h stretch of road through an industrial area.

The damage to the vehicles showed they had collided at high speed, said Mr Gunn.

"There were no brake marks and no signs of evasive action."

Mr O'Gorman, self-employed, was believed to have been on his way home from work.

Yesterday, his widow, Jill, and their four children were trying to deal with the tragedy.

Mrs O'Gorman said they had been married for 32 years, and moved to Kaitaia about 12 years ago from Whangarei.

Mr Gunn said Ms Rua's family travelled from Auckland yesterday to take the bodies back. He understood she had other children and lived at Hihi, near Mangonui.

The deaths have horrified Road Safe Northland's co-ordinator, Gillian Archer.

"How anyone can put a baby in a vehicle unrestrained and drive at 150km/h is beyond comprehension," she said. "It's almost child abuse.

"There were people there who saw her get in that car, unsafe to drive, with the baby.

"It's going to take the rest of the community to step in and do some heavyhanded stopping of people driving when they have been drinking."

Ms Archer said Northland was the fourth-worst region for serious accidents on highways, after the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and the West Coast.

Fire Service volunteer support officer Colin Kitchen, who arrived soon after the crash, said Ms Rua's car had burst into flames and bystanders were having little success with fire extinguishers.

Mr Kitchen and another man managed to pull Ms Rua out but did not realise the baby was in the car until after the flames were doused.