Auckland BurgerFuel restaurant car crash, Digi Mart USA News (Takanini, Auckland, New Zealand): Three people are dead after a car came off a road and tore through a BurgerFuel restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand.
RNZ understands the car was believed to be travelling at speeds of more than 150 kilometres per hour. A local resident said the Takanini street where the crash occurred is a hotspot for street racers.
The car reportedly lost control at a roundabout on Great South Road and collided with the restaurant. Emergency services were called to the crash just after 10:15 p.m.
on Sunday night. Fire and Emergency said there were people in the building, a few people in the car, and reports of one person trapped.
Police said all three occupants of the car were pronounced dead at the scene. No one inside the building was injured.
BurgerFuel confirmed the restaurant had closed and that none of the team members working at the time were injured, but it could not comment further.
Formal identification processes are underway and are expected to take some time. BurgerFuel’s head of brand and marketing, Nikki Soons, said, “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the families, and everyone affected by last night’s tragic incident that involved BurgerFuel Takanini.”
A local delivery driver named Nick said the stretch of Great South Road sees frequent street racing. “They always have races down here all the time, down the straight, it was just a matter of time before someone was going to go through that,” he said.
He estimated the car must have been traveling about 180 to 200 kilometres per hour in a 50 km/h zone to cause that much damage.
Tire marks on the side of the road show the car’s path, which ran over a grassy verge, smashed through a fence, and into the building’s window. Nick said the business would likely be closed for a long time, and he called for more precautions.
“They need to put a big barrier up, it may slow people down… it’s up to the council to do something,” he said.
Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillor Matt Winiata said reports that the driver lost control after the roundabout made sense based on the reckless driving he had witnessed in the area. He said he saw people speeding on Great South Road almost daily.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they went through that roundabout and lost control because of the speed on that corner,” he said.
Winiata said drivers of high-powered vehicles who drive irresponsibly needed to stop. “If you care about your friends and family, don’t be in a hurry to go anywhere and don’t be stupid.
Save it for the racetrack,” he said. He also said he hoped there had not been any fatalities and expressed concern for the families, the business, and workers who could be without jobs for a significant time during a cost-of-living crisis.
An RNZ reporter at the scene said the restaurant’s interior was scattered, with tables and chairs thrown across the room. Police confirmed they attended the crash on Sunday night.
The road was closed while emergency services worked at the scene but has since reopened. Investigations into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
BurgerFuel said it was working with the franchisee and staff to provide support.
