Manawatū crash victim was ‘one of the kindest, softest people you’d ever meet’

Lauren Kate Somerville is remembered by her siblings as being "one of the kindest, softest people" with "a gentle nature". Photo/ Supplied

The family of a woman who died in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 54 near Feilding say she was “one of the kindest, softest people you’d ever meet”.

Her siblings say they are struggling to come to terms with her death.

Lauren Kate Somerville, 29, was travelling to kung-fu practice when the crash happened on State Highway 54 Cheltenham-Hunterville Rd.

She and 47-year-old Judith Anne Tweedale, both of Mangaweka, died as a result of the September 12 crash.

Ken Somerville said his sister was the baby of the family, the youngest of seven siblings.

“She was one of the kindest, softest people you’d ever meet,” he said.

A qualified teacher, Lauren has been doing relief work at a Taihape pharmacy and was planning to study as a trainee technician.

She was a quiet and loving person and liked being out in the countryside away from people, and often walked around their family’s Mangaweka farm and climbed trees.

She adored animals and had many pet chickens and lambs on the farm.

“She was a vegetarian and we weren’t allowed to kill anything on the farm,” Ken said.

Lauren with one of her pet chickens. Photo/ Supplied

Jean Somerville said her younger sister had “a gentle nature” and laughed about everything.

“She’d be out there getting tackled by a sheep and she’d laugh about it.”

The Somervilles are a tight-knit family and Lauren loved spending time with her siblings and was very close to her nieces and nephews.

Jean said Lauren was a homebody and took care of their parents who live on the farm.

“She was innocent and a little bit naive about the world.

“She would take any bug outside. She literally wouldn’t hurt a fly or an ant.”

But despite enjoying home comforts she also liked to travel.

Earlier this year Lauren holidayed in Rarotonga and she’d also been to Europe, Japan and on several cruises through the Pacific Islands with her family.

“There were plenty of possibilities with what she could have done,” Ken said.

“She was our baby sister and was taken too soon.”

A police spokesman said an investigation into the crash was ongoing.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.