Mitchell Thomas Clarke (19), dairy farm worker, of Duntroon, died when his car left State Highway 83 at high speed at Otiake and crashed into a stock underpass on April 24 some time before police were called at 5.45am. He had a blood alcohol level of 220mg, 140mg over the legal limit.
His father, Graham Clarke, told an inquest in Oamaru yesterday that his son's death had shattered the family, who were struggling to cope.
Mr Clarke believed his son had not intended to get behind the wheel. He had always had a sober driver and had been a sober driver for friends when he was in Dunedin.
The circumstances were "completely out of character" and as a result the family and New Zealand had "lost a champ.
"Nothing reduces our pride in Mitchell," he said.
Mr Clarke wanted to see a move away from celebrating with binge drinking in New Zealand and suggested the dairy industry needed to regulate hours for its workers as fatigue increased the risk of making bad decisions, he said.
A passenger in the car, Timothy Larkins, a Duntroon dairy farm manager, was injured in the crash and was flown to Dunedin Hospital.
Yesterday, Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar, conducting the inquest, questioned why the message was not getting across to young people about drinking and driving.
Mr Crerar also told the teenager's friends at the end of the hearing he hoped they had learnt something from the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Mr Clarke had the same comments, was critical of two hotels which continued to serve his son alcohol when he was drunk and questioned the long hours dairy workers were expected to work.
His son started work on the day of the crash about 4am. Mr Clarke did not believe he had eaten before he went to the Duntroon Hotel with friends where he drank beer, "shooters" and spirits but, it was believed, did not eat anything.
Later, his son drove to a hotel at Kurow and it was when returning the crash occurred.
Mr Larkins said he and Mitchell, after they had been taken home by a sober driver, then went to a Kurow hotel. From there, they decided to drive to Oamaru and Mitchell said he was "fine to drive".
Just before the crash, he looked at the speedometer and the car was doing 160kmh. He told Mitchell to slow down, but could not remember what happened after that until he woke up after the crash and heard his cellphone ringing.
Mr Crerar asked Mr Larkins if he had seen the New Zealand Transport Agency television advertisements, especially the one in which a passenger was calling out to the driver in an upturned car in a ditch. Mr Larkins said he had.
"Why has the advertisement not worked?" Mr Crerar asked him.
Mr Larkins replied he did not know.
Mr Crerar found Mitchell Clarke died from respiratory failure caused by injuries received in a crash after he lost control of the car he was driving, due at least in part to intoxication.
