Greytown's Kuranui College is tightening up its rules after one of its students suffered serious spinal injuries in a car accident.
The Martinborough 17-year-old, a year 12 student who had returned to school on Monday after failing to find a job, has serious spinal injuries and might never walk again after a suspected drag race between college pupils ended with one car upside down in a ditch, The Dominion Post reported.
He was yesterday flown to the spinal unit at Christchurch's Burwood Hospital.
He was one of four pupils in a 1996 Subaru Impreza WRX speeding at 120kmh in a 100kmh zone on Greytown's Papawai Rd about 1.40pm on Monday, police said. The other car was carrying three schoolmates.
College principal Geoff Shepherd said the pupils, aged 16-18, had broken college rules that no pupils could leave school grounds during the day, except year 13 students, who signed themselves out with staff approval.
"We have immediately revoked the ability of our year 13 students to leave the grounds and will also be reviewing our policy on who has cars at school and who they are allowed to carry as passengers."
Police said the boy's spinal cord was severed just below his belly and, according to medical staff, the damage was irreparable.
Both cars were speeding and police suspected they were drag racing.
The paralysed teen was the only one not wearing a seatbelt, police said. Charges were likely to be laid against the driver.
Last September, an illegal race organised by Wairarapa College pupils in their lunch break ended with one car ploughing into an innocent motorist. One of the drivers, year 12 pupil, suffered serious injuries.
