'Special' trip ended in tragedy

Rhya Macready died just three days after her 18th birthday. Photo / supplied

A "special" trip to Auckland to go to the Walking with Dinosaurs show with her father ended in tragedy when a tired young Paraparaumu woman crashed and died, the coroner says.

Rhya Leanne Macready had celebrated her 18th birthday just three days before the fatal crash happened on July 10 last year.

She clipped the back of an ambulance on State Highway 41, near Taumarunui, and then hit a following ambulance support car head-on.

Coroner Tim Scott, in releasing his findings into her death today, concluded Ms Macready died of severe head injuries sustained in the collision.

Her father, Michael Macready, was badly injured, and the 50-year-old female ambulance officer driving the support vehicle was also seriously injured.

"The weekend when she died was a special weekend for her in that she and her father travelled to Auckland from Paraparaumu primarily to attend the show 'Walking with Dinosaurs'," Mr Scott said.

The pair left Paraparaumu at about 4.30am on the Saturday, drove to Auckland, saw the show and went to some other attractions, then went to a relative's house, going to bed between 10 and 11pm.

They left Auckland about 8.45am the next day, diverting to Raglan to visit friends before continuing south.

Rhya drove for all but about four hours of the trip, including around Auckland.

"She was probably tired and may have nodded off" before clipping the ambulance and hitting the car, Mr Scott said.

"Sadly, I think that the task of driving was too much for Rhya."