Coroner makes car crash ruling

A coroner investigating the deaths of a woman and her two children has made an interim ruling that the crash they died in appears to be selfinflicted.

Ashton-Lee Rangihuna, 14. AnaRoimata Rangihuna, 10 and their mother Tiny Tibble, 43, died in a crash on the East Cape on November 16.

Rotorua coroner Heidi Wrigley has since made an interim ruling on the crash, stating that it appeared to be self-inflicted.

The trio’s deaths came a month after their father, Lance Rangihuna, also died in a crash.

Rangihuna’s brother, Wimaki Rangihuna earlier told the Herald he was devastated his whanau had been “wiped out”.

Wimaki, who lives in Auckland, said he now wanted to remember his nephew for all of their deer hunting, and diving for paua and crayfish they used to do together.

“Ashton was into his hunting, diving, fishing. He was a tall, strapping young lad about six foot three [1.9m]. He’s a big boy.

“The night before his father’s funeral he went hunting, the next morning we got up there was a venison hanging. The young fella and [his sister] Ana were both gentle souls. Lance died about five weeks ago. Now I have to collect Tiny and the kids and bring them back home,” Wimaki said. He described his brother as a “laid-back fella”.

He said his brother and Tiny were a “great couple” and had recently purchased a lawn-mowing business. “They were fantastic parents and raised awesome kids.”