Families ripped apart by smash

Pesi Tuivai was due to give her first sermon in a few weeks.

But instead, her family will be saying goodbye to the 44-year-old mother of five after a head-on collision near Taupo¯.

A 5-year-old boy was also killed along with two other adults when two people-movers collided about 3.15pm on Tuesday.

A 56-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man, in the same vehicle as the boy, also died at the scene. A 10-month-old baby boy, who was the fourth person in the car, suffered critical injuries.

Tuivai was in the other vehicle, along with seven others heading to Palmerston North. She died at the scene. Eight people were injured in the crash a kilometre south of the intersection of State Highway 1 and Tutukau Rd, Oruanui.

The four deaths bring the national road toll to 297 – 44 more than at the same time last year.

Tuivai’s family are members of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and were returning to Palmerston North after a church event in Auckland.

Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga minister Tevita Langi said Tuivai had been working towards becoming a lay preacher for the past year. ‘‘I had set her down to preach a couple of weeks from now.’’

Tuivai had four children and had recently adopted a baby girl with her husband.

A 42-year-old man and 32-yearold woman were also flown to Waikato Hospital by rescue helicopters. A 17-year-old girl was flown to Rotorua Hospital with critical injuries.

Two other children, aged 2 and 3, who were in the people mover heading to Palmerston North, were taken to Rotorua Hospital.

A 66-year-old woman was in Rotorua Hospital in a stable condition. A fifth woman, aged 42, was taken to Rotorua Hospital but was not admitted.

Senior Sergeant Nicky Cooney said it was clear the vehicles collided head-on.

Meanwhile, a woman who was killed in a triple fatality crash in Southland on Sunday has been identified as German tourist 22-year-old Marina Liebl.

Invercargill couple Samantha and Jesse Shortland died in the collision in Dipton. Their 8-monthold daughter Skylar and son Heath, 2, survived in their car seats.