Young mother dies in crash at Hinakura

A FOUR-month pregnant Masterton mother died near Martinborough on Thursday night after being pinned under a car in which she was travelling plummeted 20m off a treacherous country road.
Sharleen Rimene-Toby, 17, died at the scene beside Hinakura Road about 25km east of the South Wairarapa town after the 20-year-old male driver of the Toyota vehicle took a wrong turn in heavy rain while attempting to return to Masterton, police Senior Sergeant Warwick Burr said.
The driver and two other female passengers in the car received minor to moderate injuries in the incident, he said, which happened at about 9pm and did not involve another vehicle.
Emergencies services were called at 10.16pm, he said.
The car was travelling east from Martinborough when the driver failed to round a left-hand bend and slid the car from the road and down a 20m bank.
Ms Rimene-Toby was a back-seat passenger and was thrown from the car as it rolled and was trapped under the car when it came to a stop, he said.
"The other rear-seat passenger was also thrown and was lucky to escape serious injury," he said.
Martinborough Fire Chief Garry Jackson said firefighters were called to the scene about an hour later and arrived soon after paramedics, who had pronounced Ms Rimene-Toby dead at the scene.
"The driver was still pretty distraught when we got there. He apparently had tried to lift the car of the women with a jack," Mr Jackson said.
Firefighters successfully lifted the car off Ms Rimene-Toby with airbags, he said, and brought her back up to the roadway as rain and fog closed in while they worked.
Sergeant Mark Stables, Wellington District Serious Crash unit head, said a preliminary investigation had been completed at the scene last night and the car has been taken to Wellington for a mechanical examination.
A full survey of the area is to be conducted next week and a three-dimensional model constructed, he said, although findings from their investigation of the incident will not be finalised until next month at the earliest.
"It's quite a steep bank beside a narrow, winding road about 25km toward the coast. It was very wet when I was there which is another reason a more detailed survey and site examination is needed."
Family members of Ms Rimene-Toby said yesterday that she leaves behind a partner and 1-year-old child and had been four months pregnant. They declined to make any further comment.
Ms Rimene-Toby is to lie in state at the Masterton home of her family, where a funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 11am.