Loved ones of an American couple who were killed in a car crash on Waikato's State Highway 1 earlier this month are raising funds to pay for their funerals.
US tourists Joshua Laroy Greenway, 35, and Amber Kory Stephens, 34, were killed in a crash in Piarere near Lake Karapiro on October 15.
A GoFundMe page was started by the couple's friend, Chris Hilfigure, who said it was to help ease the financial burden for their families including the cost of a funeral.
Greenway was a beloved comedian in the Phoenix Valley (Arizona), Hilfigure wrote, who had been a cherished member of multiple improvisation teams.
"He impacted so many people in the places he's lived, leaving a lasting impact on anyone fortunate enough to have spent any amount of time with him."
Stephens had been a "great friend and beautiful soul", Hilfigure said, who saw "so much beauty in so many small things."
"She was inspired, creative, kind, and generous with both her time and finances. She went out of her way to help others, and anyone who met her will not soon forget the impression she made.
"These incredible people will be remembered for their impacts on the hearts of so many, and their legacy will last a lifetime."
A week after the deaths of Greenway and Stephens, on October 22, 28-year-old Almira Pasaol, who was originally from the Philippines, died following a two-vehicle crash near Kinleith.
Police investigations into both crashes are continuing.
