Two weeks ago a car crash in Maungatapu claimed the life of 24-year-old Joshua Garner and critically injured his sister, Samantha. Her friend Kayla Rose died two days later. Kayla's mother and sisters spoke to Vicki Waterhouse.
Kayla Rose, 14, died in hospital after a car crash more than two
weeks ago in Maungatapu. Kayla Rose nearly didn't make it to youth group at the Mosaic Church in Mount Maunganui the night she died.
"They weren't going to go and then they got a ride at the last minute," her mother Julie Rose explained.
It is something Mrs Rose thinks about often - what could have been if Kayla hadn't gone that night.
"There's a lot of what-ifs," Kayla's sister Jess added.
The family is in mourning for the 14-year-old they describe as cheerful, cheeky, fun loving and a little mischievous.
The night Kayla went to youth group Mrs Rose and daughter Jess, 20, were mucking around waiting for Kayla to get home.
"Me and mum were being stupid at home and no one was laughing. We knew when Kayla got home she would laugh," Jess said. "Kayla kind of has the same sense of humour, so we knew she would."
For Jess, Kayla's death had a severe and immediate impact - it was her who discovered the crash, surrounded by police cars and ambulances, when she went for a drive to see where her sister was.
A tear rolls down Jess's cheek as she explains why Kayla was such a special person. "She made me smile even when I didn't want to."
Youngest sister, 10-year-old Gracie, cries too, and the girls huddle together for comfort.
Kayla had text messaged her mother from 15th Ave some time before and Jess had laughed at the thought that Kayla may have snuck out, but went to find her anyway.
Seeing the crash left her briefly paralysed at the horrible possibility her little sister could be in the car.
"I just sat in the car for a while then drove up," she said.
The police took Jess to the hospital, where she was joined by the rest of the family, and Kayla's oldest friend Leighton Body, 14.
Mrs Rose said her memories of the hospital were a bit of a blur. "They were CT scanning Sam when I got there, I had to identify Kayla. I realised that she was a lot worse off [than Samantha]."
Oldest sister Becks Doney, 25, said being at the hospital was a difficult time for the family.
"Not knowing heaps about the crash ... it's a little bit hard to piece things together about how it happened and why," she said.
Mrs Rose said Kayla had plenty of hopes and dreams which would now go unfulfilled.
"She talked about being a vet or a marine biologist, [she] loved animals," she said.
Miss Doney said Kayla was developing into a beautiful young woman.
"She was just really growing up, ... she'll be missed, and she's leaving heaps of people behind," she said.
The family sympathised with the Garner family, who had lost a son and had a daughter clinging to life at Starship Hospital.
"We are wishing that Sam gets well," Miss Doney said.
"And sending our love to Raewyn and their family," Jess added.
Kayla leaves behind her parents Mark and Julie Rose, sisters Becks, Jess, Jacqui, Gracie and Erin and brother Daniel.
Police yesterday received the toxicology report for Joshua Garner, which showed alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
Investigations are ongoing and police believe speed was a factor.
Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said the exact speed Mr Garner was travelling when the car hit the power pole had not been determined, but would be in the near future.