Neighbour finds fatal crash victims

Palmerston North man Craig Woollett knew straight away there was nothing that could be done to save the motorcyclist who crashed into a fence outside his house at high speed.

He was one of the first on the scene of the crash at the corner of John F Kennedy Dr and Milson Line, about 11.15pm on Saturday. Paraparaumu man Martyn Dillon, 22, was killed.

Police had earlier abandoned a chase of the motorcycle.

Mr Woollett was heading to bed when he heard a loud thud and came outside to find a silent Mr Dillon and a moaning female passenger.

"She was lying in the middle of the road, so I thought she had been a pedestrian he hit. I stayed with her and told her the ambulance was coming.

"Neither of them were wearing helmets."

Mr Woollett said the corner was notorious for accidents.

Investigations into the police chase are continuing.

Palmerston North area commander Pat Handcock said police attempted to stop Mr Dillon as he pulled away from traffic lights on Ruahine St at high speed.

He wasn't sure how long police chased the motorcyclist, but believed it was very brief.

"We're talking less than a minute.

"We have to do some investigating to try to establish at what point the officer lost contact with the fleeing motorcyclist."

The man died at the scene and his female passenger, believed to be 17, was taken to Palmerston North Hospital.

She was reported as being in a serious but stable condition yesterday.

"She had about five hours of surgery and was due to go in for more," Mr Handcock said.

The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

"We've got a lot of work to do to work out exactly what happened."

- © Fairfax NZ News