Teenager's leg amputated after street race crash

A teenage girl has had a leg amputated after being hit by a car which spun out of control during an illegal street race.

The 17-year-old was at a carpark on the North Shore at about midnight on Thursday when she was hit by an out-of-control car.

The car was one of two racing around suburban streets in Bayview before the crash at the end of Manuka Rd.

The downward sloping road with a turn-around bay at the far end has black tyre marks at several points along it and residents say police frequently patrol for hoons.

Senior Sergeant Mark Fergus, of the North Shore Police, said the driver of the out-of-control car had been spoken to at the scene.

But no charges would be laid until all witnesses had been interviewed and the forensic examination was completed.

A young girl's life has changed forever and "surely it is time for these people to think of the consequences of their actions before they get behind the wheel and put lives at risk with senseless actions", Mr Fergus said.

Last night the girl was in Auckland Hospital after surgery.

Meanwhile, Manuka Road residents say they are fed up with illegal car behaviour on the street and are not surprised that the accident occurred.

Their tidy homes overlook a park, bush, and have views across the water to the hills of Greenhithe.

"It is idyllic 99 per cent of the time," one resident said.

That is until the teenagers gather in the park, armed with stereos and bottles of alcohol and the boy racers screech down the hill and do wheelies.

Neighbours say they were all waiting for someone to hurt themselves - police are often called.

On Thursday night they heard about 15 people gather near the toilet block at the end of the road.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said there were six or so cars boys and girls.

It seemed the usual scenario. She heard a car scream down a hill and stop with a loud "bmmmph".

The youngsters gathered, yelling and crying around someone who was in the bushes.

Cars sped off up the road and the police and ambulance arrived.

The commotion carried on until 4am, the neighbours said.

In the morning, the only indications of what had happened were the markings along the kerb by the bush where the group had huddled around the victim, and a few scrapes on the toilet block.

Former Ratepayers Association member Fred Kelner, 75, said he and another resident had campaigned for speed bumps three years ago.

"But you don't qualify for those [speed bumps] unless it's a through-road," he said.

"My wife and I have been waiting for a death to happen. These idiots, these prats, come down the hill at such speed ... we are just waiting for someone to be killed."

Pensioner Shirley Marshall, 75, who lives near the top end of Manuka Road, said her bedroom often shook because of the car hoons, making her too scared to leave the house.

"It's always going on. With the [traffic] lights being here they come and they brake loudly and they have these great big radios," she told the Herald last night.

"You can tell they are young because you can hear the girls screaming."

Police are looking for witnesses to the street race. Anyone who can help can call (09) 477- 5000.