KEY POINTS:
Moves are afoot to ban boy racers from the Tauranga area after a high speed smash left a youth dead.
Scott Jarrod Finn, aged 20, was killed when he was struck by a car during an illegal boy racer event in an industrial area of Mt Maunganui early
yesterday morning.
Two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, have been charged with the manslaughter of Mr Finn who was reportedly hit by a car travelling at up to 160km/h.
About 100 boy racers last night staged a driveby past the accident scene.
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby told Radio New Zealand today that boy racers gathered in groups of up to 100 in industrial areas around Mt Maunganui and Papamoa making them impossible to manage.
He said a proposed new bylaw would prevent any vehicle smaller than a light truck from the troublespots from dusk until dawn.
Motorists caught illegally in the areas would face a instant $500 fine.
Mr Crosby said the draft bylaw would go out for public consultation in the next few weeks and should be in force by Christmas.
'Game Over'
Finn had just joined a street car club called "Game Over" when the car hurtled into him at around 160km/h.
Dozens of racers watched in horror he was hit at about 1am yesterday by one of two cars as they crossed the finish line. A friend, Jay Wood, told of his efforts to revive Finn after he had been struck by a Mitsubishi VR4.
"He had his back towards the road, went to turn round and was clipped. All you could hear was the car locking up as it came towards him," Wood, 17, told the Herald on Sunday.
"Then it was all silence. I rushed over with my flatmate, and we put a mink blanket over Scott that we got from our car. No one moved him. I felt his pulse under his neck, got about three pulses from him, then nothing.
"Everyone just broke down. No one knew what to do or what to say."
Emergency services arrived but could do nothing to save Finn. A 16-year-old youth and an 18-year-old man were yesterday charged with manslaughter.
Finn's father told OneNews his son was a "good guy and his death had been a waste" - a sentiment echoed by Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, who added: "I don't think this death is going to make any difference. They just don't get the message."
Friends and relatives paid tribute to Finn, nicknamed "Fatty".
More than 100 drag race enthusiasts - alerted by a text message that circulated among teenagers - met last night to pay tribute to the dead man in a convoy. They visited Finn's favourite places in Tauranga before converging on the street where he was killed.
Some were pulled over for speeding or for illegal modifications.
Earlier, Lisa Thomas and Helen Nabney laid flowers at the scene of their friend's death in Aviation Ave, describing him as "the ideal brother".
"Everyone knows Fatty, he is such a caring person. If we went out at night and I got cold, he would give me his jersey," said Nabney, 16. "He always made us smile and laugh. When I first got a text, I didn't believe he was gone. It has only just started sinking in."
The pair said although Finn held a restricted licence, he usually only watched the drag races. It is understood he did not own a vehicle.
However, a source, who did not want to be named, confirmed to the Herald on Sunday that Finn had just joined the newly-formed 60-member "Game Over" street car club. "It's for people who are into cars and like sounds in their cars - basically car enthusiasts," the source said. Mt Maunganui labourer Phillip Kaka, 19, met Finn on Friday evening at a Te Puna pre-party for the drag race. He said Aviation Ave was "just a nice straight road, and that's all you need".
Boy racers said yesterday police had closed off popular racing strips in Rotorua on Friday, which caused vehicles to travel to Tauranga for the tragic race.
Two women who work at the kiwifruit packing plant Aerocool on Aviation Ave arrived at work at 7.15am yesterday to find Finn's body covered on the road and a police examination being carried out. "It was eerie - a body, cops, the car - imagine coming to work and seeing that," said Monique Katipu, a mother. "There is only one thing to stop this happening: stop bringing the performance cars into New Zealand."
Turner said it appeared the victim died instantly, although a post-mortem would be held. "It is very disappointing that a young person's life has been lost, when police, council and local businesses have put considerable resources into trying to prevent the boy racing problem in recent years."
Turner said when police first arrived at the scene, there were about 20 cars and 50 people. "We are still trying to confirm the numbers who congregated in the area overnight and to piece together how this tragedy unfolded."
The 16-year-old will appear in the Youth Court at Tauranga tomorrow. The 18-year-old appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday charged with manslaughter and was remanded on bail to reappear on May 31.
He was granted interim name suppression.
- with NZPA