'We must learn from this'

Kane Stewart attends the funeral at Waihi College for Dylan Perkinson. Photo / Janna Dixon

The "wasted" lives of three people who died in a horror crash at Waihi must be a lesson to others, says the principal of two dead teens.

At the funeral of Dylan Perkinson on Thursday, tearful Waihi College principal Alistair Cochrane urged mourners to learn from the tragedy.

"We must change our ways to ensure this doesn't happen again," he said.

"The boys made a huge mistake. However, it could have been any of us and we must learn from this."

Vance Williams, 16, and Dylan Perkinson, 17, died in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 2 late on January 22.

Williams was a passenger in an out-of-control Subaru being driven by Perkinson.

Police investigations have confirmed the vehicle crossed the centre line before hitting an oncoming Nissan, splitting the Subaru in two, said Senior Sergeant Rex Knight.

"Speed was definitely a factor," said Knight.

The Nissan was driven by decorated soldier and father-of-three Mark Sydney.

Perkinson was driving on a restricted licence and neither he nor Williams were wearing seatbelts, said police.

Among the wreckage was a Waikato Draught beer box and remnants of cans of a pre-mixed bourbon drink.

Tests were carried out to see if there was alcohol in the teenagers' bodies at the time of the crash. The results are not yet known.

Brennan Mayor and Kane Stewart, also 16, who were also passengers in Perkinson's car, were critically injured.

Mayor has remained in intensive care at Waikato Hospital since the crash but Stewart was able to attend the funerals of Williams and Perkinson in a wheelchair.

Senior Sergeant Knight said they would speak to the injured teens when their health had improved.

At Perkinson's funeral, family and friends described him as a likeable young man who enjoyed sports and music and had a positive outlook on life.

He had recently started a tiling apprenticeship.

The last week had been "very difficult" for the families, students and community, said Cochrane.

Sydney's family said they were angry about the way the teens had been depicted following the crash.

"It's just gut wrenching," said sister-in-law Nichola Page. "They should have focused on Mark and his achievements."

She said the incident was "senseless" and "could have been avoided".

Sydney was 10 minutes from home after finishing his shift at Spring Hill Corrections Facility when the crash happened.

Neither of the surviving teens or their families had been in contact, said Page.

Sydney spent more than 20 years in the Army and in 2007 was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He and his wife Andrea had recently built their dream home on family land.

About 400 people attended a funeral service for Sydney at the property in Katikati on Tuesday. There was a military guard of honour and fully-dressed coffin.

"He was one hell of a man and I think we gave him the send off he deserved," said Page.