KEY POINTS:
Four people are dead and two others are in hospital with serious injuries after another day of carnage on New Zealand roads.
A man and a woman died when their vehicles were "totalled" in a high-speed, head-on collision on State Highway 1 about 5km north of Tokoroa at
1.30pm yesterday.
In a second double fatality, the bodies of 17-year-olds Jamie Alex O'Reilly and Anthony Charles Jenkins were found in an upturned Toyota SUV on the bank of the Ashley River, at Waikuku Beach, 33km north of Christchurch by a fisherman at 6am.
Only two vehicles were involved in the Tokoroa crash and neither was carrying passengers.
Tokoroa Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dave Morris said he believed a man from Putaruru was driving a green Holden car and a woman from Auckland was driving a blue Nissan 4WD. Both bodies had to be cut from the wreckage of the "totalled" cars.
Canterbury police believe Jamie and Anthony died when their SUV rolled after hitting a sandbank.
Both families went to see the bodies at Christchurch Hospital yesterday.
Jamie's father Neill told the Herald on Sunday his family were "devastated" by their loss.
"Jamie was always full of joy and laughter and was an awesome son and brother. He was 17 and loving his job as an apprentice builder. He was an avid snowboarder who also enjoyed the surf."
The Rangiora High student had lived in North Canterbury since the family moved from Matakana, north of Auckland, in 2002. His family had been living at Waikuku Beach since April.
The Herald on Sunday understands Anthony also attended Rangiora High. His parents could not be contacted.
Residents on Geisha Rd, which runs along the riverbank, told the Herald on Sunday the area was popular with hoons.
"We hear them at all hours and people are constantly knocking on our door in the night asking for a tow because they've bellied out on the riverbed," said one.
Another resident said, "You hear them up there all the time; but they are just kids being kids. Better to have them driving like that on the riverbed than in town being boy racers."
A firefighter, who arrived at the scene shortly after the fisherman reported his find, said the SUV had been converted into "something like a beach buggy. It was terrible to see two guys go like that."
TV3 reported there was a possibility the vehicle had no warrant or registration.
Meanwhile a 22-year-old Nelson man who fell from a car while roof surfing on State Highway 7 through the Lewis Pass was flown to Christchurch Hospital with serious head injuries.
Senior Constable Chris Hughey said it appeared the man had been kneeling on the roof when the car went round a right-hand bend. Two other people were inside the car when the incident occurred around 10.40am.
Police suspect alcohol was involved and Hughey slammed the trio's behaviour as "ridiculous".
"He came off at 70-80km/h and landed on his face. The roads kill enough people without being stupid."
Charges are likely to be laid.
Whangarei firefighters spent five hours cutting out at least one person who was trapped in a car after an accident near Sandy Bay on Friday night.
And a logging truck driver is lucky to be alive after his fully laden vehicle rolled about 30m down a bank in Upper Hutt about 10.30am yesterday.
Inspector Ken Climo of Wellington police said the driver, thought to be aged between 30 and 40 years, was airlifted to Wellington Hospital.
New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Andy Knackstedt said it was disappointing to have such a bad weekend on the roads when the toll had been going down.
The deaths brought this year's road toll to 279, down from 315 at the same point last year.
"But it's still likely to end up somewhere between 350 and 400 deaths, which is far too many," said Knackstedt.
"And any disappointment we feel obviously pales in comparison with the grief the families and friends feel."
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: ANNA LEASK, REBECCA MILNE, CLIFF TAYLOR, RHIANNON HORRELL
