Taupo Times

Talented teenager lost too soon

- MATT SHAND

‘‘The message we want to put out there is life is very short and you need to take every opportunit­y...’’ Grant Cradock

The family of a Taupo teen killed on New Zealand’s roads is urging other youngsters to take care when driving long distance.

On Friday Liam Cradock, 17, left Mount Albert Grammar School boarding house in Auckland to enjoy a Taupo summer with his family but he never made it.

His sister Brittany said with NCEA exams all completed, Liam was eager to spend time with his friends, play some football and enjoy time with his family back in Taupo.

His mother, Karen Millar, urged other teens like her son to take extra care on long distance drives as she didn’t want any other parent to experience the loss she now was.

‘‘I know it can be hard to put an older head on a young man,’’ Karen said.

Police are still investigat­ing the cause of the crash on State Highway 1 west of Tirau that claimed Liam’s life but his father Grant Cradock believed his son was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘‘The message we want to put out there is life is very short and you need to take every opportunit­y and if kids are driving we need to respect the road,’’ he said.

‘‘I can understand where his head was at. He was excited to get home.’’

His mum said Liam had plenty to be excited about and was on the cusp of making his mark on the world.

His prowess on the football field, backed by hours of practice, was opening up doors and he had ‘hedged his bets’ by focusing on his academic studies.

He had just been named a prefect for MAGS school house and, even before exams, he had passed his level 2 NCEA courses.

‘‘His dream was to be a profession­al footballer,’’ Millar said.

‘‘His second aim was to get a scholarshi­p to play football at an American University. His father and him were going to go over to the states when he finished school.’’

Liam started his football career at just three-years-old.

‘‘The funny thing was he didn’t want to go on the field,’’ Karen said. ’’It took him a few goes but once he got on it was all he wanted to do.’’

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