Crash kills motorbike 'soulmate'

Kim Kennedy

Kim Kennedy's motto was "ride to live, live to ride". Today her casket will be taken on a final ride by motorbike hearse.

The 47-year-old mother of four died on Boxing Day when her motorbike and a car collided on State Highway 1 between Orewa and Waiwera.

Kim Kennedy was one of the 15 people who have lost their lives on the roads during the holiday break.

Behind the bare figures, those who died have included 57-year-old Usha Pandey, holidaying with her daughter in New Zealand when she died in a crash near Rotorua on Wednesday night.

Campbell Stewart, 9, is remembered by his friends at Willow Park School as a happy, enthusiastic and energetic young boy. He died when a 4WD rolled while travelling along a firebreak near Tokoroa on Tuesday.

Kim Kennedy, also known as "Trumpy Girl", had ridden her Triumph to Mangawhai on Monday, hoping to buy tickets to a Jimmy Barnes concert, but they were sold out.

She rode back to the Puhoi Hotel to meet partner Daniel Andrews, who was working at the pub.

She intended following his car back to their home at Dairy Flat.

When Mr Andrews found his partner was not behind him, he turned back and came across the police road block.

Mr Andrews yesterday remembered his "soulmate" as a woman who lived life to the full.

She had battled cancer twice and "triumphed and got over it" and was a karate expert.

Kim Kennedy was the country's first female professional boxing judge and was on the verge of international appointment, said New Zealand Boxing Federation Commissioner Steve Miles.

The funeral procession today will go from the Puhoi Hotel through Kaukapakapa and Albany to a service at Red Beach.

Kim Kennedy leaves her partner and children Jed, 19, Kaylee, 14, Cerise, 12, and Shontelle, 9.

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The death in hospital yesterday of an 83-year-old man injured in a crash in the Manawatu on Christmas Day took the holiday road toll to 15.

Emergency services attended two major crashes yesterday, including a four-car collision on State Highway 2 near Tutira, north of Napier, which left two people with serious injuries.

Another collision involving a truck and a car at 3pm in the Kaimai Ranges closed State Highway 29 2km from the summit on the Matamata side.

One person was flown by helicopter to Tauranga Hospital in a serious condition.