A day out to go and watch a football game turned to devastation for a family after a man lost control of his car, fishtailed and crashed into a tree, killing his wife. His wife, Julia, was sitting in the front seat and suffered severe chest and abdominal injuries. He then suddenly lost control, and the car slid sideways, crossing the centre line into the eastbound lane, rotating about 130 degrees before leaving the road. The front passenger door side of the car smashed into a tree, where the car came to a stop. A serious crash unit investigation found the cause of the crash was Organ losing control of his car on the curve and being unable to correct the car's rotation.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 19, 2026 06:05 UTC