In the Alexandra District Court before Judge John Strettell yesterday, Gareth Allen Evan Voight admitted two charges of recklessly using a motor vehicle causing injury in Alexandra on October 21, and a further charge of supplying alcohol to a person under 18.
When police announced the charges earlier this month, they said the reckless driving charge could be laid against a person who either drove a vehicle or caused a vehicle to be driven.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Ian Collin said Voight had been drinking at his house in Cromwell with a 15-year-old and then asked the teenager to drive his Toyota ''people-mover'' vehicle to Clyde.
The vehicle did not have a warrant of fitness and had all its rear seating and restraints removed.
The pair kept drinking on the way to Clyde and then went to the Alexandra boat ramp, where they collected two youths aged 16 and 18.
The 15-year-old then drove the group to an Alexandra liquor store, where the 18-year-old bought more alcohol.
They then ''drove off at speed'', and then around Alexandra, Sgt Collin said.
The teenager then ''drove at speed'' over the Manuherikia River bridge on to Little Valley Rd and the car smashed into a large rock and mounted the adjacent bank, overturning and landing on its side in a ditch.
Sgt Collin said it was estimated the vehicle was travelling at 88kmh when it crashed. The 15-year-old recorded a breath-alcohol limit of 678mcg.
One of the other teenagers suffered concussion and bruising, and the other a broken nose and bruising. Voight had a fractured sternum, a cracked eye socket and bruised kidneys.
When spoken to by police at the scene, Voight said the incident was his fault, Sgt Collin said.
The 15-year-old is being dealt with through the Youth Justice system, and the 18-year-old has been charged with supplying alcohol to a minor.
Judge Strettell remanded Voight for sentencing in the Alexandra District Court on February 19.
