Jessica Law (16) was the first person to die on New Zealand roads this year.
She was a back-seat passenger in a Nissan Pulsar which crossed the centre line and collided with a Mercedes and rolled on Littles Rd, near Arthurs Point, north of Queenstown.
The other occupants of the car were Jessie Boulay (16) and Josephine Clay (16), both of Queenstown.
Jessie was in a stable condition in intensive care, at Dunedin Hospital, while Josephine was in a stable condition in critical care at Southland Hospital, in Invercargill, Sergeant Steve Watt, of Queenstown, said yesterday.
Recording artist and producer Andrea Cruickshank, of Queenstown, recalled how she had mentored and managed Jessica for about six years.
"She was like a daughter to me," Ms Cruickshank said.
"A really, really special girl and I'm devastated.
She was a little angel, a shining star and very kind.
"Such an amazing talent.
She had a voice I'd probably never heard before in my life."
High school pupil Holly Hoogvliet (15), of Frankton, knew Jessica for about six years and they wrote songs together.
They had performed at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards, in Gore, as well as at the first Christmas Spectacular in 2007.
"It's pretty devastating," Holly said.
"She was so amazing and she's going to be missed by the whole community.
"She had so much talent, she wrote amazing songs and she definitely inspired people.
"Everyone's just shocked such an amazing person is gone and we'll just remember the good times we shared.
"She was an inspiration to all of us and we'll never forget her."
Jessica performed in the musical Rush in 2005 and was a finalist in the National MLT Songwriting Awards in 2007.
She would have been a year 12 pupil at Wakatipu High School in 2010 and was working on songs for her debut album.
Father Max Law said a memorial service would be held in the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall on Wednesday at 2pm.
Mr Law declined further comment.
