Fans and friends gather at site of Johnny Danger's fatal motorbike crash

Friday, 27 April 2018

Hundreds of people lined the street next to Johnny 'Danger' Bennett's memorial as motorbikes roared in during a Friday night tribute ride.

The police lead procession rolled slowly in minutes before 11pm.

First came cars, several decked in banners reading 'shot Johnny', then came the bikes.

Hundreds of mourners line the street during the late-night vigil.

More than 800 fans and friends signed up to take part in the tribute ride from Auckland CBD to Dairy Flat.

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Mourners gather at the spot where Johnny Danger was killed in a motorbike crash.

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Flowers, bottles of beer and fishing rods had been left at the crash site, where Bennett died in a motorbike crash on Wednesday.

Social media star Johnny Danger crashed while on a group motorbike ride on Wednesday.

Police and the Fire Service had cordoned off an area for mourners to congregate.

About 20 people had made it to Bennett's memorial site on Dairy Flat Rd by 10pm, and stood in clusters - some hugging, others reminiscing about the amateur stuntman's antics and awaiting the motorcycle convoy organised in his honour.

'It's just too intense and I'm here without words,' said one friend of Bennett's, in tears.

Alex, a fan of Johnny Danger, was the first person to arrive at a memorial event at the scene of Danger's fatal crash.

There was laughter too, which Rodney local and long time fan Matt Johnstone reckoned 'is what Johnny would have wanted'.

'He just lived to make people laugh, to lift them up when they were down,' he said.

Memorial event organiser James Inder said Bennett was a big part of Auckland's car and motorbike scene

'He's gone way too soon; I wish it had been one of one of his pranks.'

This video was apparently taken during Johnny Danger Bennett's final bike ride.

Swigs - a signature drinking style of Bennett's - were being had and many vapes were being inhaled, making the air around Bennett's shrine smell like candy floss.

A local man named Alex, who said he had met Bennett a few times, had been parked up next to the growing memorial of fishing rods and other paraphernalia since 8.30pm. He said he was the first to arrive.

'He was just such a good guy, you never hear a bad word about him,' he said.

'I think there should be an official Johnny Danger day - Johnny deserves it.'

While Alex admitted Anzac Day, the day of Bennett's death, was 'a bit of an awkward choice', he thought 'something could be figured out'.

Another fan said he wanted people to focus on the support Bennett gave to New Zealand's mental health services and the City Mission.

'I'm here with my Danger Lager, paying my respects,' he said.

The event was created on Facebook shortly after Bennett's fatal crash.

Bennett was on an Anzac Day ride with Wolfpack Incorporated, an organisation that raffles bikes to raise money for charity, when he crashed and died.

Friday's ride followed the social media star's final journey.

Bennett first grabbed headlines in 2015 when he climbed out the window of a taxi as it took him and two mates over Auckland's Harbour Bridge, lay on top of the car and filmed himself.

It cost Bennett his licence and a fine but outside of court, he told Stuff he was 'quite proud' of the stunt.

The Danger swig was what rocketed Bennett to social media stardom, however.

The act of swallowing a gulp of your beverage of choice, lifting the vessel high enough so you don't have to tilt your head back to drink, then a quick jerk of the chin, went viral in 2016.