‘We miss her at the dinner table’
The grieving family of a young girl killed in the Mt Ruapehu bus crash have spoken out about life without the 11-year-old.
Hannah Francis died when a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus crashed on Mt Ruapehu in July.
The bus, carrying 31 passengers, overturned at the 9-kilometre mark on O¯ hakune Mountain Rd, which runs 17km up Mt Ruapehu to Tu¯ roa.
In a statement, her dad Matthew Francis, step-mum Christina Francis and two stepbrothers Joshua and Caleb Dukeson said Hannah was a wonderful girl who was deeply missed and would be their entire lives.
‘‘She had a joy and presence in our home that we long to have back.
‘‘We miss her at the dinner table and all the usual routines of our daily lives’’.
They said if there was one thing they wanted people to remember about Hannah it was that she loved life and approached life with an exuberance that was infectious.
Both her dad and stepbrother Joshua were injured in the crash and they are still recovering from their injuries and the trauma of the crash.
‘‘Matthew broke his scapula and multiple ribs and Joshua broke his clavicle, has spinal fractures and a concussion.’’
The family wanted to thank everyone who had supported them over the past few weeks.
Her mum, Michelle Bruton, and Shane and Charlotte Bruton said from the moment they found out Hannah had died their lives fell apart.
‘‘As Hannah’s mother my heart has literally broken, there is no feeling like this in the world to compare it to.’’
They described Hannah as the sunshine in every day and said she was a special child who had the kindest heart and soul of anyone they had ever known.
A police spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing.