Two of three victims, Sandeep Singh (front) and Varinderpal Singh, the day they died in a crash on Desert Rd.
An empty car seat prompted an urgent search in the pitch black for a possible fourth person involved in a deadly late-night crash in the National Park area.
Manjinder Singh, Sandeep Singh and Varinderpal Singh died when their car allegedly crossed the centre line and collided with a tanker truck on State Highway 1/Desert Rd, about 5km north of Waiōuru, at 11.50pm on Monday.
The truck driver suffered moderate injuries.
Manjinder Singh’s niece Sharan Singh told the Herald the trio were on their way home to Tauranga from a spontaneous road trip to Wellington organised by Manjinder when the accident happened.
In the immediate aftermath, a helicopter was brought in to search the area to rule out a fourth person being involved. Singh said the search was prompted by a car seat in the vehicle, but no child was in the car at the time.
Singh described all three men as “extremely hardworking” people who had come from underprivileged and poor backgrounds.
“They were all very driven, very hardworking, and so thankful and appreciative to have the opportunity to be working in New Zealand.
“My uncle always called New Zealand home and was so determined to make it work here for his family.”
At midnight, just minutes after the accident, when phone calls to all three of the men were left unanswered, Manjinder’s wife had a “gut feeling” something was wrong.
Singh told the Herald Manjinder’s wife had last spoken to him just an hour earlier.
She said it was “very unlike” Manjinder not to answer, so a group of the men’s family and friends went to the police station to express concern.
Police were able to pull up the registration plate, which last showed the group headed through Waiōuru.
“I saw the road was closed on Google Maps and thought they were being detoured. Turns out it was actually for them.”
Singh said that 10 minutes later, after further investigation, an officer came back and broke the devastating news to the family.
“‘They have been in an accident and, sadly, all three have passed’.
“That was it, that was all we got.
“It was unbelievable. You hear things like this in the news, but it’s hard to feel about it properly until it happens to you.”
Singh described her uncle as a “smart and on-the-go type of man”, with whom she was very close.
“We told him all the time he needed to slow down in life because he was always in a hurry and always go, go, go and we were worried he’d get sick.
“He taught his wife how to drive on her first day in New Zealand. We all said, ‘You can’t do that,’ but he insisted, and now she has gained independence and drives – that’s a big deal, because not many Indian women drive back home.”
The group had lived and worked in Tauranga since arriving on work permits in mid-2023. Sandeep and Varinderpal were distant relatives, while Manjiinder was unrelated to the men.
Manjinder was a client service and operations manager in the horticulture industry and worked alongside Sandeep and Varinderpal, who were orchid workers for horticulture company Grow More, owned by Sharan.
Manjinder leaves behind a wife and two young daughters, aged 3 and 7, living in New Zealand; Sandeep Singh has a wife and son back in India; and Varinderpal Singh was unmarried.
Manjinder Singh’s final rites will be held in Tauranga, where he will be cremated. His father is set to fly from India to join the service.
A Givealittle page has been set up to cover the cost of all three funerals and repatriation for family in India.
Desert Rd was closed both ways for several hours between Rangipo and Waiōuru at the time of the accident.
Whanganui’s police area commander, Inspector Neil Forlong, described the loss of three lives as “heartbreaking”.
He said an investigation into the circumstances of how and why the car “likely crossed the centre line” was underway.