A young couple who were expecting a baby have been identified as the victims of a fatal accident.
Simran Shiuagani Mala, 25, and her partner Jamie William Pitman, 35, were found dead at the scene near Queenstown, New Zealand, on Thursday night.
A heartbreaking memorial was set up on Malaghans Road, where mourners left flowers, a teddy bear tied to butterfly wings and a pair of pink baby boots.
The local couple were due to welcome their baby in October, and devastated friends and family paid tribute to them on social media.
One woman sent her condolences to Mr Pitman and her partner’s whānau (the Māori word for family), “and our unborn pēpi”.
Another said she was “completely speechless.”
“Almost 20 years ago, my father brought you into our lives and you became part of our whānau,” she wrote on Facebook.
‘If I had known that two weeks ago would be the last time we talked, we wouldn’t have sat there talking about cars and lawnmowers with you.
Simran Shiuagani Mala, 25, and her partner Jamie William Pitman, 35, were found dead at the scene near Queenstown, New Zealand, late on Thursday night.
“We’re going to miss all the random calls and visits. We’ll always remember you, Jamie.”
“Sending aroha and condolences… my heart hurts right now… you both will be deeply missed but not forgotten,” a third person posted.
Pitman’s father, Brent Cook, said he will cherish their brief phone conversations for the rest of his life.
“Rest in peace son, I love you and will miss you, love you dad,” he said.
One of Ms Mala’s friends said she will always remember her as a “cheerful and lively” person.
“Everyone who knew her is in shock over her death,” he said. News from the stars.
‘I thought she was just a breath of fresh air; she was so kind to everyone she met.
“If someone was feeling down, she would always bring them back to life.”
Another said his loss was “absolutely devastating.”
A heartbreaking memorial was set up on Malaghans Road, where mourners left flowers, a teddy bear tied to butterfly wings and a pair of pink baby boots.
Police said the two-vehicle crash also involved a Millbrook Resort shuttle bus.
Three ambulances and a rescue helicopter were called to the scene of the crash at Dalefield, halfway between Queenstown and Arrowtown, at around 10pm.
“Our teams assessed and treated one patient in a moderate condition and four patients in a minor condition, all of whom were transported to the Lake District Hospital by road,” a spokesman for Hato Hone St John said. New Zealand Herald.
Five people were injured and taken to Lake District Hospital, where one of them was treated for moderate injuries.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.