‘Diligent, hard-working’: Victim of fatal Feilding crash named
A 42-year-old man who died after his vehicle crashed into a parked truck and trailer has been described as a hard-working and dedicated kaimahi.
Darius Nass Hoani died after the crash on Friday evening on Lethbridge St in Feilding.
Emergency services were called to the scene, near the road’s intersection with Church St and Victoria Park, at 10.15pm.
Two others in the vehicle were also seriously injured.
Hoani was a landscaper and horticulturist with Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngāti Kauwhata and in February featured in the Manawatū Standard for his efforts in helping to eradicate an invasive bamboo plant at Awahuri Kitchener Park.
The painstaking work took a day for a team of four or five workers to treat a single stand of the large Phragmites.
Awahuri trustee Bessie Nicholls worked with Hoani and said she had a lot of time for him. “He was always so diligent ... I can’t praise him enough.”
She said he played an integral part in helping to eradicate the invasive weed.
“He contributed so much towards this ... It’s going to be very difficult to come back together as a team. It’s going to be hard. We’re going to miss him like hell.”
A Facebook post on Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngāti Kauwhata’s page said the iwi group was “extremely devastated” to hear of Hoani’s death.
The post described him as a staunch, hard-working and dedicated kaimahi.
“Darius was an integral member of the Mana Taiao team with a keen interest and passion for looking after the whenua and awa. He embodied all the skills and values of a kaitiaki.”
A bouquet of flowers had been placed at the bottom of a tree in Victoria Park, and nearby a large amount of debris could be seen strewn across the road and grass area.
The Manawatū Standard understands the large truck and trailer unit was parked on the side of Lethbridge St, next to the large field.
A large sign had been knocked over, and part of the concrete curb was also smashed with tyre marks still visible in the grass.
A police media spokesperson said police were continuing their investigation into the fatal crash and they were unable to comment on the circumstances.
Hoani would be laid to rest at his marae tomorrow.