When will young drivers learn the mix of cars, speed and alcohol often has tragic and fatal consequences, Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar has asked.
The comment was a result of an inquest into the death of Mitchell Thomas Clarke (19), dairy worker, of Duntroon, who died when his car crashed on SH83 at high speed and ended up upside down in a stock underpass at Otekaieke early on April 24.
Mr Clarke had a blood-alcohol level of 220mg of alcohol (140mg over the legal limit) after drinking at Duntroon and Kurow hotels.
Mr Crerar said the facts he listened to at the inquest were "awful".
"A good son, a hard-working young man and a high achiever has been taken from the community, in the prime of his life, basically because he has not recognised the lessons which are there for all to learn," he said.
It was to be hoped that publicity given to the death would prove a lesson not only to family and friends, but to the wider community, Mr Crerar said.
"The publicity may mean that the circumstances are not repeated."
Mr Clarke's father, Graham Clarke, raised at the inquest the issue of long hours that some dairy workers work, and whether that contributed to the crash.
Mr Crerar added fatigue as a risk factor to drinking and driving at speed.
A passenger in Mr Clarke's vehicle said he saw the speedometer at 160kmh just before the crash. A crash investigator estimated the speed at between 134 and 143kmh at the crash site.
Mr Crerar did not believe he could properly link the decision of Mr Clarke to go drinking after working long hours to his employer.
"The situation may be different when an employee is required by an employer to work long hours and then, when fatigued and because of tiredness, loses control of a vehicle.
However, Mr Crerar would forward his findings to New Zealand Federated Farmers and the Department of Labour.
It was not only the issue of work hours and fatigue which needed to be addressed.
An education programme, promoted within the farming industry and directed at younger employees, pointing out the dangers of drinking after work and then driving at speed, was suggested by Mr Crerar.
Mr Crerar found that Mr Clarke died from respiratory failure, complicating pulmonary intrusions and oedema and diffuse cerebral injury from a closed head injury when the vehicle crashed.
