A father killed his six-year-old son after he crashed his car, which was driving at 81 mph, which flew 25 meters before exploding into a ball of flame, it has been reported.
Niklas Gebhardt, 32, accelerated as he drove into a bend where the limit was 15 km / h and made no attempt to brake before the car left the road.
According to reports, the danger had been seen recklessly driving and overtaking cars before the accident in Rangiora, New Zealand, on November 5, 2019.
His vehicle burst into flames with his son, Lachlan, inside, after Gebhardt managed to drag himself out of the smashed car, according to Mirror Online. However, Lachlan remained trapped inside and emergency services were unable to rescue the child until the car exploded.
(Image: NZH)
Gebhardt pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the High Court in Christchurch and will be convicted on August 3, stuff.co.nz reported.
The court heard that Gebhardt shared custody of the boy with his former partner Kim Manson, and that he had arranged to pick him up at 6 p.m. 16 from the Dudley Park Aquatic Center in Rangiora.
He started driving too fast and was reported to have overtaken a car and then swerved sharply back into his own lane to avoid another vehicle.
Gebhardt continued to drive dangerously when he came to a sharp turn, and this was where he left the road.
He reportedly made no attempt to break or turn around the corner and hit a dam.
A serious accident unit from the police calculated that the car drove 24 meters horizontally and seven meters vertically before hitting a tree, stuff.co.nz reported.
People rushed to the car, which exploded in flames, and a passerby pulled Gebhardt out of the car before the fire became too intense to see if anyone else was inside.
When he was out of the car, Gebhardt was reportedly heard saying, “Put me back in, swap me with my son, I want to swap.”
(Image: NZH)
“My son is at the back, he’s such a good boy, he’s such a nice boy, I want to swap. I need a bullet.”
Gebhardt, who sustained 30 percent burns and a femoral fracture, claimed he did not remember anything about the crash and he was charged with manslaughter.
So in September 2020, he walked into Christchurch Central Police Station and took off his clothes, refused to put it on again and asked the police to put him in jail.
He appeared in court and was charged with indecent exposure and was sentenced to one month in prison.
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