Murupara motorbike victim named as 10-year-old boy Parahaki Rurehe

A young boy has been named as the person killed in a motorbike crash in Murupara last month.

Parahaki Rurehe, 10, of Ōtaki died in a motorbike crash on Main Rd on December 28, police said today.

A second person on the bike remained in Rotorua Hospital in a stable condition.

The circumstances of what happened were under investigation, police said.

A social media post by Haven Falls Poutama Tangihanga Funeral Home said a funeral for Parahaki was held on January 2.

The crash was included in the Christmas and New Year holiday road toll period, during which 13 people died over 2024/25.

A person died in Tauranga and another in Wharehine near Auckland in crashes on December 24.

Mere McCabe, 39, of Gisborne died near the Tairāwhiti-Bay of Plenty border on State Highway 35 on Boxing Day.

One person died in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 25 between Thames and Coromandel on December 27 while another died in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 10 at Waipapa in Northland on December 28.

Reif Cotter died after falling from a mattress on top of a car in Napier on December 27.

Agambir Singh Dhanju, 2, and 38-year-old Sumeet Sumeet, both of Auckland died in a two-car crash on State Highway 1 at Mangaweka on December 29.

One person died following a two-vehicle crash in the Selwyn District town of Darfield on January 1 while another person died after a crash in Bunnythorpe, Manawatū on New Year’s Eve.

Another died following a crash between a vehicle and a bicycle on State Highway 29 at Matamata on January 2 and one person died after a single-vehicle crash on Ihumatao Rd, Māngere the same day.

‘We all need to do better’

Police Superintendent Steve Greally, the director of road policing, said this holiday period road toll was just over half last year’s total of 22.

“While it’s fantastic to have seen this number drop, any death on the roads is still one too many,” Greally said.

“That’s still 13 families who have had their lives irrevocably changed at what should be a happy and festive time of year, and our hearts go out to them.

National road policing manager Superintendent Steve Greally. Photo / File

Police would continue to be out in force across the country this summer, conducting road policing operations and patrols to target unsafe driver behaviour, he said.

“Road deaths and serious injuries are preventable. We all need to do better and stop accepting people dying on our roads is what happens when driving.”

Police said enforcement action has proven to deter people from driving dangerously.

“However road safety was something we must all take responsibility for. We should all play our part to be safe on our roads, because so far, too many families have received tragic news this holiday period.