The family of 23-year-old Nateisha-Kurstyn Pareteoro Hana-Wetere is appealing for the driver of a black SUV to come forward after a boat and trailer detached from the vehicle and struck her car near Te Kūiti on 11 July, killing her instantly and injuring her three-year-old son.
The boy, who suffered whiplash and bruising, told emergency services his mother was dead and showed them her phone so they could contact relatives. Hana-Wetere’s brother described her as caring, “larger than life,” and devoted to her son, and said the family was heartbroken that no one had been held accountable. Police say inquiries are ongoing and are following positive lines of enquiry.
The collision occurred between Otorohanga and Piopio at around 11.15am. Police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage, particularly from anyone who saw the southbound black SUV towing the boat before the crash. “This includes the driver of a white ute that was heading south, and white flat-deck ute with a large blue box on the rear, and a Nissan SUV, both heading north,” said Detective Sergeant Harry Hodgson.
