Tour van driver's girlfriend among dead

Hiroe Kaneko says she saw television images of the mangled van and in the middle of it all sat a familiar-looking backpack. Picture / Greg Bowker

One of the seven passengers killed in this week's horrific crash near Morrinsville was the girlfriend of the tour-van driver, George Gibson.

The 42-year-old Thai woman's name is yet to be officially released but the Herald understands she was known as Pat and had been in New Zealand for a week.

That week was spent with 66-year-old Mr Gibson who had been eagerly awaiting her visit for months.

On Wednesday morning the couple climbed into Mr Gibson's white Mercedes-Benz van for a day trip to Rotorua.

Before heading south Mr Gibson, a tour driver contracted to Greenworld Tours, collected an Indian family of four, an American couple and a Frenchman.

Two hours later Mr Gibson, a man described as one of the country's safest drivers, crashed into a Freight Lines truck on SH27.

Twenty-year-old passenger Ahalya Thirumuthy and the driver of the truck were the only people to survive the impact.

Yesterday Hiroe Kaneko, a young woman who rented a room at Mr Gibson's New Lynn home, was still struggling to come to grips with the enormity of the accident.

"He was a very safe driver."

Miss Kaneko said she was watching the evening news when she saw images of the mangled van scattered across the road. In the middle of it all sat a familiar-looking backpack.

Miss Kaneko said Mr Gibson was a wonderful landlord who had been helping her learn English.

She said he had been particularly happy following Pat's arrival.

Miss Kaneko understood that Pat was an accountant who had a son of about 15 and a daughter of about 13.

Mr Gibson, a divorcee, had twin sons in their 30s. They live overseas but were expected to arrive in New Zealand last night.

A neighbour yesterday described Mr Gibson, a former farmer, as a "decent guy" who was meticulous about his tour vans.

Mr Gibson had his own company, Kiwi Travel and Trade, but contracted to Greenworld Tours.

Greenworld director Philippa Dean said he had 20 years' driving experience and a reputation for being the "most cautious and safest of the lot".

Marian McMurray first met Mr Gibson about 15 years ago at her Kiwi Lodge Motel in Rotorua.

She said the "friendly driver" would transport tourists, stop for a coffee then head back to Auckland. He would then return for them the following day.

"He used to bring people from Auckland to Rotorua on a daily basis, just like he was doing [on Wednesday]," said Mrs McMurray.

"I would say he knew that route like the back of his hand."

Mrs McMurray described Mr Gibson as a "very nice gentleman" who used to "love coming to Rotorua".

Taylors Tours owner Sonia Bunn said he was "one of the top tour drivers in the country".

He had a "wicked sense of humour" and a "charisma that attracted people to him like bees to honey".

The eight victims

* Driver George Gibson, 66, Auckland and his Thai girlfriend Pam, 42.
* American couple Gregory James Megas, 57 and Donna Lee Megas, 45.
* Indian man Vellore Thirumuthy 50, his wife Suchitra, 42, and daughter Urmila, 18. The other daughter Ahalya, 20, is in a critical condition
* An unnamed French man, believed to be in his 60s.