Police today officially identified the four as Georgina Taitapanui, 45, her daughter Anna Marie Kemp, 22; her adopted son Ratapu, three; and Anna Marie's partner Wellis Lauano, 23.
The fifth person killed in the accident, Peter De Wildt Pie, a 40-year-old Corrections Officer from Turangi, was identified yesterday.
The five were killed when a van and black Chrysler Neon car collided on State Highway 1, at Oruanui, about 17km north of Taupo, about 4pm, on Friday.
The group of four killed were travelling in the van, along with two children, nine-year-old Kawana Kemp and three-year-old Amethyst Lauano, who were rescued by an off-duty police officer when the van burst into flames.
Mr Pie's 11-year-old daughter Kirstin-Leigh also survived the accident and was in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital's intensive care unit yesterday.
Road policing manager for Bay of Plenty, Senior Sergeant Stu Nightingale, told NZPA the Chrysler apparently shunted a BMW before losing control and veering on to the wrong side of the road, colliding head-on with the van.
Police were still seeking witnesses and were interested in any reports of erratic driving by the car between Turangi and Oruanui, 17km north of Taupo, between 3pm and 4pm.
Mr Nightingale said there may not be anything in the reports but police were keen to hear from witnesses.
Police had received calls from concerned members of the public about the driving of a black car on SH1 15 minutes before the crash.
"It could be related to the vehicle that crossed the centre-line and struck the van and we're certainly keen to hear any information from the public who may have called about a black vehicle's driving behaviour."
Georgina Taitapanui's sister, who asked not to be named, told the Sunday Star Times she was devastated.
"I'm not sure I'm going to be strong enough to cope. I said to my family that we're really going to struggle because there're four gone, straight away," she said.
The off-duty Hastings policeman, hailed a hero after pulling the children from the flaming van, spoke about the tragedy yesterday.
Inspector Mike O'Leary, operations manager for the Eastern Police District, was travelling immediately behind the van with his family when the accident happened shortly before 4pm.
He pulled one boy from the overturned and burning vehicle and with the help of a bystander, used a pocketknife to cut a second boy free while flames engulfed the van.
"I wanted to do more but I couldn't do any more," Mr O'Leary said.
Nursing a bandaged hand from burns received during his rescue of the children, he was modest about his efforts.
"It's not about me. Anyone would have done the same," he said, adding that he was proud of the way his family had acted during the incident.
But his wife Debbie was quick to praise her husband's heroism.
"He was out of the car and just doing everything. He was like a one-man band."
Georgina Taitapanui's brother-in-law Ken Burdgan thanked Mr O'Leary.
"I can understand he hurts too. I'd like to go and thank him in person. The whole family would like to thank him. We are relieved that he was able to save two. It's just a relief that he actually found them."
