
Circumstances that were âall too familiarâ led to the death of two teens in Acacia Bay, TaupÅ â an inexperienced, unlicensed driver whoâd consumed alcohol and drugs, and got behind the wheel.
Coroner Ian Telfordâs findings said the âneedless deathsâ of Purity Anne Te Pairi and Tamatoa David Kimi Jnr, who were both 19, were a tragedy, but the surrounding circumstances were those seen with âalarming regularity year after yearâ.
âAt its core, this is yet another case of a young, inexperienced driver â on a learnerâs licence â whoâd consumed alcohol and other drugs. History shows with absolute consistency, this combination is a recipe for disaster,â Coroner Telford said.
The events unfolded on January 17 of this year, when the pair, who were longstanding friends, had been driving around TaupÅ late at night.
The coronerâs findings said initially the pair had planned for Kimi Jnr to pick Te Pairi up from work when she finished for the night.
But after he became too intoxicated to drive, he was instead driven to her workplace by a sober friend, in her car.
When they arrived, Te Pairi wasnât there, so they instead met her at a bar in TaupÅ, where sheâd been having a drink.
Purity Anne Te Pairi died on January 17, 2025, after the car she was driving hit an embankment, killing her and her passenger, Tamatoa Kimi Jnr. Photo / Facebook
She got in her car and drove off with Kimi Jnr and her mother as passengers.
The findings said that at some point, her mother was dropped off, and the pair continued driving around town.
Shortly before midnight, tragedy struck when Te Pairi was driving west along TaupÅâs Mapara Rd.
Crash analysis showed that as she approached a moderate left-hand bend on a slight downhill, the car crossed into the wrong lane.
Te Pairi steered sharply in response and over-corrected, causing the car to slide across two lanes and on to the grass verge.
The passenger side hit an embankment, the car rotated, and the rear of the car went up the embankment.
Other road users came upon the crash, and contacted emergency services, later giving evidence that the car had, moments before the crash, overtaken them âerratically and at speed, without indicatingâ.
Both teens sustained fatal injuries and were confirmed dead at the scene.
Tamatoa David Kimi Jnr died with longstanding friend Purity Te Pairi in a fatal car crash in January 2025. Photo / Facebook
A post-mortem examination confirmed their deaths had been caused by blunt force injuries, while toxicology reports confirmed alcohol was present in Te Pairiâs blood, and cannabis was detected, as was the case for Kimi Jnr.
Te Pairiâs blood alcohol reading was âjust underâ the legal limit for drivers aged 20 years and over, but as a 19-year-old she was not meant to consume any alcohol before driving.
âIn any event, I consider that alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash,â Coroner Telford said.
The coroner also considered the policeâs view that, given Te Pairi was on a learnerâs licence, which she acquired in August 2023, her driving manner contributed to the crash.
She had not had an appropriate supervisor with her in the car, and her âabrupt manoeuvreâ to try to correct her being in the wrong lane was indicative of her inexperience.
Police speed calculations indicated that speed was not a factor in the crash, however.
The coroner said it was widely understood that driving while intoxicated is dangerous, and the message was âregularly reinforcedâ by police and the NZ Transport Agency.
However, he said, there appeared to be a âpersistent and deeply ingrained tendency within our society to overlook, or silently tolerate, unlicensed driving on our roadsâ.
âThis is a contributing factor in a significant number of cases that come before the Coronerâs Court.â
In this case, he said, Te Pairi should not have been driving that night, had consumed alcohol and possibly cannabis, had no supervisor with her, and âhad not passed a test to show she could drive a carâ.
He said the driver licensing system existed to ensure those who get behind the wheel have the competence to drive.
âBefore you drive on public roads, get properly trained, get properly licensed, and follow the road rules.
âThese are not merely legal formalities,â Coroner Telford said.
âThey are essential safeguards designed to protect life. The deaths of Tamatoa and Purity are a heartbreaking reminder of what can happen when those safeguards are disregarded.â
Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.
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