Shanae Michelle Bruce (18) died when her Honda hatchback and a four-wheel-drive vehicle collided on State Highway 98, near Invercargill, last Friday.
A 14-year-old passenger, Jaykob Yaxley, also died in the crash while two others were taken to Southland Hospital with what were reported at the time as critical injuries.
One of the injured, understood to be Miss Bruce's partner and Mr Yaxley's cousin, remains in Southland Hospital, while the other was discharged.
The ``tragic'' crash prompted Southland area commander Inspector Joel Lamb to warn motorists to take all precautions on the roads ahead of the busy Christmas motoring season.
The crash occurred near the intersection of Rakahouka-Hedgehope Rd, about 20km from central Invercargill, about 1.10pm on Friday.
Tributes to Jaykob were posted at the crash site yesterday. The young teenager was a mountain biking enthusiast and a pupil at James Hargest College.
``Each and every day is going to be so hard and quiet without you,'' a letter from his mother said.
``Your beautiful kind-hearted soul is going to be terribly missed, not just by me but every single person you crossed paths with.''
The letter remembered his ``one of a kind'' sense of humour and his cheeky grin.
``I'm already so lost without you,'' it said.
``Every day will be a challenge, but I know you would want me to be strong.
``I love you to the moon and back, until we meet again my baby boy. Love you, mum XXXX.''
Friends of Miss Bruce took to social media to mourn the loss of the ``beautiful girl''.
``Rest in peace,'' one tribute said.
``You will be missed very much. You were taken too soon from the earth.
``You will always be in our hearts.''
Police would not elaborate on what caused the crash yesterday or who was behind the wheel of the other vehicle.
In a statement, Insp Lamb said the cause of the crash remained under investigation by the serious crash unit.
``This is a tragic event involving two young people, especially so close to Christmas,'' Insp Lamb said.
``While the cause of the crash is still to be determined, we are asking all drivers please to pause and carefully consider decisions made behind the wheel. Just one mistake can change the lives of families forever.
``No-one wants to see a repeat of this type of tragedy. We want to spare families the grief of losing a loved one.
``When anyone dies on our roads, the devastating impact is felt across families, communities and emergency services.
``We strongly encourage you to take the time to assess your own driving and, if necessary, change your habits to ensure you and your passengers arrive at your destination safely.
``One of the biggest ways you can reduce your risk of being involved in a crash is to be mindful of other road users. We know people sometimes make mistakes and the way you drive needs to allow for mistakes others may make.''
Provisional road toll statistics show 311 people have died on New Zealand's roads so far this year. Of those, 18 were in Otago and 15 in Southland.
Insp Lamb called on drivers to watch their speed, drive to the conditions, wear seatbelts and drive considerately.
