Friends say there are two fewer "beautiful, shining lights in this world’’ after a horror crash killed two mothers in Waihola at the weekend.
The two women were killed and three others were injured, two critically and one seriously, in the head-on crash just south of Waihola on Saturday morning.
A Givealittle page has been set up by close friends of the victims, named as 23-year-old Charlene Hong Hue Phuong and Fay Lesley Leota.
Charlene was described as a ‘‘a loving wife, mother, sister and daughter,’’ and ‘‘one of the most beautiful, kind-hearted, hard-working and generous people you could ever have the pleasure of knowing.’’
She had recently graduated from the University of Otago with a degree in surveying.
She is survived by her young son.
Fay was described as ‘‘the strongest and most resilient of mothers’’ to her seven children.
As of yesterday morning, the page had raised more than $4000.
The page stated that all proceeds would be split evenly between both Charlene’s and Fay’s families, to ‘‘help with the upcoming expenses during this extremely difficult time.’’
Police said emergency services were called to the crash about 9.15am.
A St John spokeswoman said that rescue helicopters had flown two critically injured patients to Dunedin Hospital, and a third person with serious injuries was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
The road reopened about 3.15pm.
Police had not yet named the driver of the car which collided head-on with the car the victims were traveling in.
The crash was being investigated, a police spokesman said.
