Police allege a teenager framed the victim of a car crash in an attempt to escape blame.
Cheyenne Ihaka, 16, was killed when the car he was travelling in hit an oncoming vehicle on State Highway 2 near Palmerston North.
At the time, police said Ihaka was behind the wheel and that alcohol was a factor.
But yesterday, they announced the arrest of a 17-year-old charged with staging the crash scene to make it look like Ihaka was the one driving, Radio New Zealand reports.
The 17-year-old Tararua man will appear in the Palmerston North District Court today facing careless driving charges and perverting the course of justice.