‘Star in the making' jockey dies aged 18 in motorbike crash as two others rushed to hospital
Ngakau Hailey, 18, was killed in a collision with a car in
Hamilton
on Wednesday.
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Ngakau Hailey has died in a car crash
Credit: https://x.com/TracksideNZ
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The promising jockey was described as a 'super young man'
Credit: https://x.com/TracksideNZ
Hailey was rushed to hospital with critical injuries following the clash, which happened at around 3.25pm local time on the intersection of Willoughby and Mill Street in Whitiora.
However, he later died of his injuries in hospital.
Two more young people who were in the car were also taken to hospital with moderate injuries, according to local reports.
Hailey had ridden Billy Lincoln to victory at Pukekohe in April 2024.
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Hailey's employer, Debbie Sweeney, told Stuff.com that the promising jockey would be a "massive" loss to the racing community.
David Ellis of Te Akau Racing described him as a "super young man" to the publication.
He added: "The
sky
was ahead of him."
A Givealittle page dedicated to Hailey to support his family had reached just shy of $20,000 in donations from 240 generous donors on Thursday morning.
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The page reads: "A naturally gifted young man with a bright
future
taken away from us so soon.
"These funds will go to his family to provide the service for his
funeral
, please spare what you can to help."
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