Waverley mourns lost four

WHANGANUI: The small town of Waverley in Taranaki has been rocked by the crash that killed seven people, including four beloved locals.

Jockeys at Waverley Racing Club wore black armbands yesterday as a mark of respect to those killed in Wednesday’s crash.

The Waverley Bowling Club — with which the four elderly local people killed in the crash were associated — was mourning ‘‘a big hole’’.

Sole survivor Ani Nohinohi, of Stratford, was fighting for her life in Wellington Hospital yesterday after the crash that killed her partner, 8yearold daughter and newborn baby girl.

Four pensioners, tightknit friends from Waverley who were all in the northbound car, were killed at the scene of the crash.

They were: Ian Porteous (80), his wife Rosalie (76), his sister Ora Keene (84) and friend Brenda Williams (79).

Ms Nohinohi’s daughter, Nivek Madams, was blessed by a Waikato Hospital pastor before she died yesterday morning.

The blessing was performed at the request of her father, Kevin, who is in prison for the murder of a gang president.

A family member said a phone was put to Nivek’s ear in her hospital bed so her father and other relatives could speak to her.

Nivek’s sister, 8weekold Shady Thompson, and stepfather 28yearold Jeremy Thompson had died shortly after the crash.

A granddaughter of Mr and Mrs Porteous, Shay Starrenburg, said in a statement on behalf of her family they were devastated.

‘‘We are a very close family and still can’t believe this has happened.’’

The couple had been married for 54 years and were ‘‘extremely loving family people’’.