The Tongan community in Auckland has mourned the death of three family members who were killed in a fiery crash on SH2 near Tauranga Saturday night 9.
Tevunga Vaea, 71, her daughter Louina Vaea, 45, and daughter-in-law Takua Vaea, 32, died when the minivan they were in collided with a car in the Bay of Plenty.
The women, who were travelling in the van with six other relatives, were expected to join relatives in Tauranga during Mother’s Day.
The vehicles caught fire after they collided on State Highway 2, between Whakamarama and Te Puna.
The six other relatives in the van were treated and discharged from Tauranga Hospital.
They were two girls aged 2 and 15, two women aged 20 and 57, and two men aged 29 and 41 as well as the passenger of the car – 35-year-old Sam O’Brien.
The deceased close friends and family members were devastated by their death.
“R.I.P My beautiful aunty Tevunga, it was shocked to all of us. and to your daughter Louina very sad to see you go so young. an for your daughter in law” said Matelita Morgan on Facebook.
“O.M.G I can’t express the feelings that I have rite (SIC) now wat (SIC) a heart breaking news i received today…RIL my unforgettable grandma,aunty Louina Vaea,and Takua Shiryl Vaea….Really miss u…fly high till we meet again”. — feeling stressed,” Vunga Vaea wrote.
“Our family just lost 3 woman tonight all at the same time baddest news ever received Tonight! & it’s mothers day tomorrow mad love going out to my Vaitohi family. Please Lord give us the strength to get through what just happened. 2015 defitnly not our families year!” another Facebook user wrote.
The deceased were from Onehunga in Auckland and Kanokupolu in Tongatapu.
