Ōmāpere and Hillcrest Roads. Photo: Google Maps
A detective leading the investigation into a crash that killed a 12-year-old Northland girl and seriously injured two of her siblings says it was a totally avoidable tragedy.
Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Fouhy, of the Far North CIB, said a car carrying a family of seven rolled several times into a bank after being T-boned at an intersection in Kaikohe about 12.45pm on Wednesday.
The family was travelling along Hillcrest Road while the other vehicle was coming down the hill on Orrs Road.
He said two youths in the other car fled on foot but were found nearby soon afterwards.
A spokesperson for St John said two patients were airlifted to hospitals in Whangārei and Auckland, both in a serious condition.
Another four patients were transported to Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa by ambulance.
Fresh flowers mark the spot where a girl was killed on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
RNZ understands the seriously injured patients were the deceased girl's siblings, aged six and seven.
One of the youths in the other car is understood to have suffered a broken arm.
Fouhy said the driver of the other car had been identified and the investigation was ongoing. The car was not stolen.
He urged anyone who saw the crash, or a white Toyota Mark X being driven erratically around Kaikohe, to contact police.
Two witnesses had already told police about seeing a similar car being driven at high speed on nearby De Merle Street.
Fouhy said police also wanted to see any CCTV, dashcam or cellphone footage of the Toyota prior to the crash.
He described the crash as "a totally avoidable tragedy" and urged anyone who saw driving that put others at risk to call police on 105, or 111 if it was urgent.
Meanwhile, a Givealittle page set up by a whānau member to raise money for funeral and travel costs had brought in more than $3000 as of noon on Thursday.
Any information about the crash or the manner of driving beforehand can be passed to police online or by calling 105 using the reference number 250806/2057.
