A family stuck by double tragedy in a car crash near Twizel had earlier dropped off their teenage daughter in Dunedin for university.
Mon Chhetri (37) and her 8-month-old son Aron died when the car they were in was hit by another on Tuesday evening.
It is believed their car, driven by their husband and father Tula Ram Chhetri (44), pulled on to State Highway 8 into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Earlier story: Mother, baby killed in crashMr Chhetri and his 10-year-old daughter were airlifted to hospital.
The family were members of the Bhutanese community and had resettled in Christchurch as refugees in 2008.
Tula Chhetri's cousin, Guman Kadariya, said the family was in shock.
‘‘It's an unbelievable accident that has happened. No-one knows what's going to happen next. It's so sudden,'' Mr Kadariya said. ‘‘We're going to miss them for ever and ever.''
He understood Mr Chhetri had been moved from intensive care into a general ward at Christchurch Hospital but was unable to talk properly.
The crash happened after the oldest daughter, Srijhana (18), had been dropped off in Dunedin and the family had visited friends in Queenstown.
Friend and Christchurch Bhutanese Society chairman Akash Drukpa said the family was well known in Christchurch.
The community of 324 Bhutanese who had settled in the city would band together to help each other through the tragedy and was like a big family, Mr Drukpa said.
He said the Chhetri family was one of the first in Christchurch in the resettlement of refugees from acamp in Nepal. They were originally from the Bhutanese district of Tsirang.
‘‘They took a bold step, moving to New Zealand, and many people followed them.''
Mrs Chhetri was a‘‘lively lady'' who had a big heart, he said.
She worked as a caregiver in a Christchurch rest-home, with her sister. Mr Drukpa said Mr Chhetri worked at a community college, and at other community groups as a liaison between the groups and refugee families who settled in the city.
The pair died at the scene of the crash, which happened on the Omarama side of the canal bridge on Twizel-Omarama Rd, shortly before 7pm.
Five others were injured in the crash - including Mr Chhetri, who remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition, and their 10-year-old daughter, who was in a comfortable condition yesterday,
The three passengers in the second vehicle, travelling south, were taken to hospital.
