Hannah BartlettOpen Justice reporter - Tauranga·NZ Herald·5 Jun, 2026 12:00 AM5 mins to read‌Steile Veenendaal was 16 years old when, while speeding along a rural road near Otaki, he lost control and collided with a truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Sixteen-year-old Steile Veenendaalpromised his mum he wouldn’t drive on his own while on his learner’s licence.But on July 18 last year, the teenfinished his shift at a scaffolding company in Ōtaki and got behind the wheel alone - with deadly consequences.

According to coroner’s findings released today, it was