KEY POINTS:
Police suspect a 15-year-old boy who died after crashing into a power pole early yesterday fell asleep at the wheel.
His death was one of three on the country's roads over the weekend.
Nicholas Samuel Thomas Jeffs, of Te Awamutu, had spent the day playing cricket then gone
out with friends before deciding to drive himself home about 4.30am - despite being on a restricted licence which forbids driving after 10pm.
His Toyota hit a power pole in a residential part of Te Awamutu, then slammed into a brick wall, killing him instantly.
Sergeant Evan Davidson said there was no reason to believe alcohol or speed were factors.
"There was a slight curve in the road but he's just gone straight ahead," he said. "There are no braking marks or anything - it looks like he's just fallen asleep."
The crash, on Cambridge Rd, brought down power lines in the area.
Residents heard the smash and ran out to the scene but Nicholas would have died instantly, Mr Davidson said. "He wouldn't have known a thing."
After a day playing cricket he had probably tired himself out and made a bad decision, Mr Davidson said.
"They're not meant to drive at night on the restricted licence but you know teenagers. Hopefully some other teenagers learn from this."
Mr Davidson said if Nicholas had been stopped by police he would have been fined $400.
A two-car collision in Manurewa East, on Porchester Rd, claimed the life of Aucklander Monique Allen, 39.
Sergeant Brent Woodmass said early indications showed speed was a factor in the accident, which also left one of Ms Allen's passengers seriously injured in Middlemore Hospital, and two others with minor injuries.
The driver and sole occupant of the other car was unhurt.
In Timaru, a man in his 50s was killed in a crash on Beaconsfield Flat Rd about 11pm on Saturday. No further details were available.
On Friday afternoon, before the official weekend road period began, two motorcyclists were killed after a collision with a four-wheel-drive vehicle at Riordans Bridge in the Lewis Pass near Hanmer Springs.
They were Hayden Christopher Rive, 34, and Sharleene Elizabeth Owen, 38, both of Christchurch.
Mr Rive was riding the motorcycle and Ms Owen was his passenger.
Former All Black Richard Loe was one of the first to arrive at the scene, and told the Herald on Sunday it was "bloody horrific".
The two motorcyclists had been killed instantly. They were travelling in a convoy of hundreds of other motorcyclists, many of whom came on the accident scene immediately after the collision.
- NZPA
