‘Lovely, bright and positive’ teen dies in bridge crash
When Kaia Hamilton’s flatmate saw a damaged bridge over the Oreti River and realised the 17-year-old was missing, she had a feeling something tragic had happened, Kaia’s uncle says.
Kaia died after she lost control of her car and went into the Oreti River about 10.30pm on Thursday, her uncle Sean Hamilton said.
She was alone in the car and the death has been referred to the coroner. She would have turned 18 on August 16.
Hamilton said his niece was driving home from work when the crash happened. Although there was damage to the bridge it was not obvious there was a car in the water because of recent heavy rain.
Kaia’s flatmate had seen the road block at the bridge before anyone knew she was missing, Hamilton said, and on finding Kaia had not returned home, she had a ‘‘gut feeling’’.
The flatmate used an app to find Kaia’s phone and the police were alerted, Hamilton said.
‘‘I’m just so grateful they got her out [of the car].’’
Kaia had been working to support herself and was considering studying early childhood education, her uncle said.
A Givealittle page had been set up to help with funeral costs and any money left over would go to her younger siblings, Hamilton said.
Kaia was a lovely, bright and positive girl who was great with kids, Sean Hamilton said.
‘‘She would have made a great early childhood teacher.’’
Kaia was good-natured, loved life and would have dinner with her grandparents every week.
Kaia’s cousin, Maddi Hamilton, said the family were impressed and grateful the police divers were able to get her out of the car, about 12 hours after the body was found.
They were also grateful to the flatmate, and a friend of Kaia’s in the North Island who helped raise the alarm, she said.