Road death second loss
Woman who died in Easter Weekend crash had lost her mother days earlier.
ATaupo woman killed in a Bay of Plenty crash over Easter was grieving the loss of her mother and will share a double funeral with her.
Denise Tito is one of three to die so far on New Zealand roads during the long weekend.
Police have not yet released the names of the dead but relatives, who asked not to be named, confirmed Tito’s death with the Herald on Sunday.
They said Tito was travelling in a convoy with other family members when the crash happened at Tirohanga, between Pokuru and Tirohanga Rds, north of Taupo on Friday morning.
A relative told the Herald Tito’s death was a “dreadful shock”.
“She was very popular. Everybody loved her. She had a lovely personality.”
Tito’s mother is understood to have died just days earlier, and a social media post said a joint service would be held for the two women at a Kinleith Marae tomorrow.
Tito’s children posted emotional tributes to their mother on Facebook yesterday. One said Tito’s death had “shattered” her.
Others wrote the death of Tito, described as having a “huge smile”, seemed like a bad dream.
The holiday road toll rose to three yesterday after a motorcycle and truck collided at the intersection of Edmund and Clayton Rds in Rotorua. Witnesses said the motorbike lost control and went under the truck’s wheels.
The motorcyclist died despite frantic efforts from responders and unsuccessful attempts by members of the public to resuscitate him.
Witness Aaron Clair yesterday told the Herald the crash was
“horrific”.
“People came running out of the homes to try help the young man on the bike, giving him chest compressions,” Clair said.
On Friday night the Desert Rd section of State Highway 1 north of Waiouru was closed for several hours after a multi-vehicle collision that killed a child.
Three others were taken to hospital with critical injuries in the crash that involved two truck and trailers and two cars.
The deaths follow a slow start to the weekend, when bumper-tobumper traffic out of the country’s main centres on Thursday, Friday and Saturday prompted the New Zealand Transport Agency and police to plead with drivers to stick to the speed limit and be patient.