In the early hours of Tuesday 1 December 2015 a vehicle carrying five young people was travelling along Plateau Road, Upper Hutt. With the driver’s side window rolled down, a 16 year old female passenger was sitting on the edge of the frame with the top half of her body outside the vehicle.
The 19 year old male driver lost control, rolling the vehicle and crashing through a fence. The young woman who had been hanging outside the vehicle suffered multiple serious injuries as it rolled on top of her. Thought to be life-threatening at the time, the young woman is now at home recovering from her injuries.
The male driver has been arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Injury. His blood alcohol level was 153 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. There is a zero alcohol limit for drivers under the age of 20.
The young man is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on 19 January 2016.
Police are awaiting the final medical report regarding injuries sustained by the three other 16 year old female passengers in the car before a decision is made on further charges.