Woman killed in crash a ‘sparkling light’

A young woman described as a ‘‘bright sparkling light’’ was killed in a two-car crash near Motueka on Saturday.

She was 22-year-old Zoe Bishop, of Motueka.

A man in his 20s in the other vehicle was seriously injured and flown to hospital by rescue helicopter.

The crash happened on the Coastal Highway, about five kilometres south of Motueka, about 11.45am.

The high-speed impact of the crash on State Highway 60 caused the engine of the Bishop’s car to be ripped out.

Her car ended up on the edge of the water on the causeway near Moana Rd. She died at the scene. Bishop’s former boyfriend, Andrew Riley, said she was ‘‘the light in my darkness’’.

‘‘I loved her like no other but my biggest regret is not telling her just how much she really meant to me and how much I truly loved her.

‘‘She always managed to see the good in everyone and be the light at the end of the journey.’’

He said that family ‘‘meant everything’’ to her.

‘‘To lose someone like her so young is devastating and hard to comprehend as to why our beloved Zoe would be taken from us this way. She was one of the most cautious drivers I have ever known.

‘‘Her memory, her smile, her heart of light will echo throughout the rest of my life.’’

Friends have taken to Facebook to pay tribute to her with one saying ‘‘a bright sparkling light was taken from us’’.

‘‘One of my best friends, my flatmate and one of the brightest sparks in my life,’’ the friend said.

‘‘I will miss our wine and movie nights after work and of course the light that shone off of you and to the hearts of everyone near. You will always be in our hearts.’’

Motueka deputy fire chief Mike Compton said the brigade helped with traffic control and the removal of the woman’s body.

‘‘It’s always very sad to go to calls like that and it’s not unusual for members to actually know the person or know the family,’’ he said.

The injured man from the other vehicle was discharged from Nelson Hospital on Sunday.

The road was closed for nearly five hours and diversions were in place while emergency services cleared the scene.

The police serious crash unit is investigating.