An Auckland church is in mourning after a “tragic accident” claimed the life of one of its members yesterday.
Around 8.55am on Wednesday, a car mounted the kerb and hit two people sitting outside the William Souter Espresso cafe in Forrest Hill.
One person was transported to hospital in a critical condition, where they died from their injuries. Another two people sustained moderate injuries.
The victim has been identified online as Sarah Clark. The Windsor Park Baptist Church posted a tribute to her on Facebook, calling her a “dear colleague and friend”.
“Today is a deeply sad day for our Windsor Park community,” the church wrote last night.
“Sarah faithfully served on our staff team for more than seven years and had been part of the Windsor Park church family for many decades, serving in various leadership capacities.”
The church said Clark, who worked as the manager of the Windsor Park LifeCare Trust, will be remembered for her deep faith, leadership and friendship, along with “the genuine care she showed to so many”.
Cafe owner Paige Sun said she and her barista were inside the cafe when the accident happened.
She said a mother and her high school-aged daughter, who were regular customers, were struck while sitting on chairs outside with their small dog.
Photos from the scene showed a hatchback crashed into the front glass window of the cafe.
The pair’s dog wasn’t hurt, Sun, who also knew the driver as a regular customer, said.
“They are all really nice.”
The Windsor Park Baptist Church said their hearts ache for Clark’s husband and children after their “devastating loss”.
“She first met her husband Cam through our youth ministry, and together they have invested deeply in the life of this community,” it wrote.
“Even as we hold onto the hope that Sarah is now with the Lord, we grieve deeply with those who loved her.”
The church added Clark’s daughter “thankfully sustained only minor injuries”.
To comfort those grieving their loss, the church’s auditorium will open tonight at 7pm for a quiet time of prayer and reflection.
“Please continue to hold the Clark family, and one another, in prayer.”
Apex Trophies & Engraving staff member Jess told Newstalk ZB she and colleagues rushed to help after hearing the “massive” crash at the neighbouring cafe.
“Pretty much the whole door has been destroyed with the window knocked out”.
A woman was lying on the ground, Jess said.
“She was who we were most worried about, because she looked so stunned. It looked like she may have been tossed by the car.”
A “young girl” had also been badly hurt on her face, but she was walking around, which Jess took as a good sign, she told Newstalk ZB.
Olivia, who did not give her surname, works at the K-medi Clinic nearby and told the Herald she heard a loud noise and dogs barking.
The crash was “shocking”, the cafe regular said.
Police said yesterday the crash was “an isolated incident”, and there was “nothing to indicate it’s suspicious”.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau was at the scene, as was the Serious Crash Unit.
“We’re still early in our investigation, but we’re progressing quickly,” police district shift commander Senior Sergeant Dean Roberts said.
The incident comes weeks after a car smashed into another Auckland cafe moments after its owner closed the doors.
The crash occurred on February 23 at Columbus Glen Innes, when a woman mistook her car accelerator for the brake and smashed through the store’s glass doors.
It wasn’t the first time the cafe had been struck by a car, co-owner Sudhakar Bacharam said.
In 2019, just six months after Bacharam took over the store, a customer crashed into the business after accidentally pushing the accelerator instead of the brake, Bacharam said.