A new HWP employee was left with a sore back and a lot of explaining to do after crashing a mini-van on a test drive.

The Daihatsu Extol van hit a wall on North Shore Road, Pembroke after skidding, according to eyewitness Tammy Stevens.

Fearing for her own safety she had stopped her car which was going west after seeing the car racing towards her.

?He was flying. I saw him slam into a wall. He had lost control and slid for 150-200 feet. If he hadn?t hit the wall he would have kept going like the energiser bunny.?

Sources at the scene said the youth driving the car had been working for HWP for just two and a half months and had sustained minor back injuries in the crash on Wednesday morning which wrote off the vehicle.

HWP chief operating officer Alan Brooks apologised to the owner and expressed deep concern over the accident which occurred near West Pembroke School.

?Despite best efforts in instilling safety first for all of our employees, accidents do occur.

?Whilst deeply saddened that the accident occurred, we are also extremely pleased no one else was either involved or hurt.?

He said the owner had been contacted and the matter would be sorted out.