Families devastated by crash
Pesi Tuivai was due to give her first sermon in a few weeks.
But instead of her standing at the pulpit, her family will be saying goodbye to the 44-year-old mother of five after a horrific headon collision near Taupo¯ .
A 5-year-old boy was also killed and a further eight people injured when the two people-movers collided.
A woman, 56, and a man, 60, who were in the vehicle with the boy, died at the scene. A 10-monthold baby boy, the fourth person in the car, also suffered critical injuries.
Tuivai, 44, was in the other vehicle, along with seven others heading to Palmerston North. She died at the scene.
The crash happened 1 kilometre south of the intersection of State Highway 1 and Tutukau Rd, Oruanui, about 3.15pm on Tuesday. The four deaths bring the national road toll to 297 – 44 more deaths than the same time last year.
Tuivai’s family were members of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and were returning to Palmerston North after an event in Auckland.
Tuivai was not at the event, but joined the group in Hamilton to travel back home.
Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga minister Tevita Langi said Tuivai had been working towards becoming a lay preacher for the past year.
She was over the moon about her achievement, he said. ‘‘I had set her down to preach a couple of weeks from now.’’
The church was struggling with what had happened. ‘‘Everybody is surprised and sad. Devastated, I think that’s one word.’’
They prayed and comforted each other on Tuesday night and Langi said their faith would help them accept what had happened.
Tuivai’s family was also struggling to come to terms with the crash. Ana Tuivai, whose cousin is Pesi Tuivai’s husband, said the situation seemed ‘‘unreal’’.
Pesi Tuivai’s daughter had been in the vehicle with her. Her father had gone to be with her at the hospital, Ana Tuivai said.
‘‘She is fine, her father is with her at the moment.’’
The family was focusing on looking after Pesi Tuivai’s other children, she said. She had four children and had recently adopted a baby girl with her husband.
The family had been living together in Palmerston North since December 2015 and Ana Tuivai said Pesi Tuivai was a bubbly, happy woman.
‘‘She always had a big smile for everyone. That’s what everyone remembers, her smile. That’s what everyone will miss.’’
A 42-year-old man and 32-yearold woman were also flown to Waikato Hospital by rescue helicopters. A Waikato Hospital spokesperson said yesterday morning the man was critical in the hospital’s ICU while the woman was stable in a ward. A 17-year-old girl who was a passenger in the people-mover was flown to Rotorua Hospital with critical injuries. She was now stable in a ward.
Two other children, aged 2 and 3, who were in the eight-seater heading to Palmerston North, were taken to Rotorua Hospital. They were both stable in the hospital’s Children’s Unit yesterday morning, a hospital spokeswoman said. Another 66-year-old woman is in Rotorua Hospital in a stable condition. A fifth woman, 42, was taken to Rotorua Hospital, but was not admitted.