Simon Norris, a Greymouth High School pupil, described by his parents as having a "twinkle in his eye", died when the car he was driving missed a corner on Mai Mai Valley Rd, near Reefton, and plunged down a bank.
Simon had been staying at a friend’s house in the area, when the pair sneaked out the friend’s parents’ car for a drive about 8.30pm.
They had driven about 10km up the valley road when they crashed.
His friend walked more than 8km with broken ribs and a punctured lung, to get help.
The first policeman on the scene and fire crews from Ikamatua and Reefton tried to save Simon, but his injuries were fatal.
The Norris family visited Simon’s friend in Te Nikau Hospital yesterday.
His mother, Michelle Norris, said the accident was what no parent ever wanted to experience and she was not ready to let her eldest son go.
She and her husband, Ch’e, doted on Simon and, alongside their two younger boys, were devastated by the loss.
"You don’t think it is going to happen to you," Mrs Norris said.
She had always been strict on her son but thought he would be safe staying at Mai Mai.
However, she was not blaming anyone for the fatality, saying teenagers often just did not think of the consequences.
Simon was an "amazing teenager" with so much going for him. He was in his second year at high school and was making good progress with his learning.
He was "very loved" by his family and many friends.
A budding sportsman, Simon played age-group rugby league for Marist, and last year he played in the under-14 Combined side and was selected in the West Coast under-14 squad. He also showed talent for surfing and basketball, and had been practising hard for a year to try to win a spot in the West Coast basketball team.
"If he wasn’t home by 3.15pm, I would go out there and have a look ... [often] he would be down bouncing the ball," Mrs Norris said.
"Simon was a typical teenager, grumpy and happy all in one go, but had a twinkle in his eye most of the time."
Simon’s father, Ch’e Norris, told the New Zealand Herald as far as they knew, Simon had never driven before.
"That’s one thing I was going to teach him how to do, was to drive when he was 16."
Greymouth police say their investigations into the crash are continuing.
A family member has set up a Givealittle page to help with funeral costs.
— Greymouth Star
