Student from China killed in crash ‘Sunny by name and nature’
A student killed in a crash just outside Rotorua on Christmas Eve has been described as Sunny by name and also by disposition.
Jie Hu, 23, known as Sunny, was on her way to spend Christmas with her Rotorua host family when she died.
The three-car collision happened at the intersection of State Highway 5 and Maraeroa Rd just after 9pm on Sunday.
Host father Don Gunn said the family were expecting Sunny to arrive that evening, ready to go into work on Christmas Day, before coming home for dinner with the extended family.
“It was a shock to get the knock on the door at 11.30 that night.”
Sunny moved to New Zealand from Beijing, China, last year to study a graduate diploma of tourism management at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
“She was a lot like her name, she was very outgoing, vibrant and friendly, she had absolutely no trouble making friends,” Gunn said.
“She really was like one of our daughters, we were very close to her and obviously it has all come as a shock.”
He said Sunny would give anything a go and had recently secured a job at the Millennium Hotel in Rotorua.
“It was a real testament to her persistence, she applied to a lot of places, but she had found a job she loved there.”
Host mum Sue Gunn said Sunny had a “completely positive attitude”.
“She was a really lovely person to be around and to have in our home.”
Sunny’s parents are on their way to New Zealand from China.
Three other people were initially trapped after the crash that killed Sunny, with two suffering serious injuries and a third minor injuries.
The police serious crash unit is investigating the cause of the crash.
The summer holiday road toll stood at seven last night but many others have been injured — some seriously — in crashes up and down the country.
This year’s holiday period started at 4pm on Friday and ends at 6am on January 4.
Last year, 19 people lost their lives on New Zealand roads over the Christmas and New Year period. The youngest victim was 2 years old.