Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
Just hours later, a vanload of Rotorua Girls' High School students crashed into a bank early on Saturday morning, leaving two people with minor injuries.
Tribute messages are already flooding in for Okeroa, and the Bay of Plenty Under 18 hockey team has pledged to dedicate this week's hockey tournament to the victim, who was a representative hockey player.
The talented teenager received a
Daily Post Youth in Excellence Award
in 2009 for having many positive qualities, being able to speak three languages - English, Maori and Spanish - and being a proven leader.
Her achievements included representing the Bay of Plenty in hockey, basketball, tennis and touch rugby. She was also a dedicated kapa haka performer. In the tribute, she was described as a young woman destined for great success.
Yesterday, Okeroa's family took her for one last drive through Te Kura o Te Koutu where friends and staff performed an emotional haka.
Koutu principal Uenuku Fairhall said Okeroa's death was a sad loss for the school and the community.
"She was a very accomplished young girl, especially in sports."
Mr Fairhall described her as a young woman who would turn her hand to anything and was a very determined young lady.
"She would help out any of her peers. She was just really nice."
Mr Fairhall said Okeroa was part of a very unique group of people who were "so special for being so few".
"She was a really good, genuine person."
Mr Fairhall said it was a difficult time in Rotorua for youth but he believed the death of Okeroa would ground people again.
"The school will lean on each other for support."
Okeroa featured in
The Daily Post
many times for her sporting achievements.
Rotorua District Council road safety co-ordinator Jodie Lawson was devastated to learn of the latest fatal crash involving a Rotorua youth.
The crash comes as yesterday marked the first anniversary of a crash involving a group of 12 Rotorua teenagers who were travelling home from a party in Taupo when the van they were in crashed on State Highway 5, 14km south of Rotorua.
Last July was described as Black July after two Rotorua teenagers died and at least 15 others were injured in three separate road crashes.
Another Rotorua teen died in August as a result of one of the July crashes.
Reporoa College student Aaliyah Cara Mita died on July 4 after suffering fatal injuries in a crash on Owhata Rd on July 1. On July 23, a day after she and four friends were involved in a collision with another vehicle, Rotorua Girls' High School student Kristi-Rae Ruri-Gardiner died.
On July 17 last year, a crash involved a group of 12 Rotorua teenagers who were travelling home from a party in Taupo when the van they were in failed to take a left-hand bend on State Highway 5, 14km south of Rotorua.
The van crossed the centre line, hit a bank and rolled.
Six of those students were from John Paul College and one of them, Jesse Howe, died on August 8.
After witnessing the anguish these crashes had on the community, Mrs Lawson's main focus moved towards young drivers.
She was devastated to hear Rotorua had lost another young person.
She urged all parents to make sure their children completed 120 hours of driving practice before they let them drive on their own.
Learner drivers also needed to practise in all different kinds of conditions.
"What's happening is that young people are hitting the road without practice."
Rotorua Girls' High School principal Annette Joyce said students and teachers were very conscious of the time of year, given her school lost student Kristi-Rae last year.
Related stories:
Facebook tributes to Okeroa Douglas
Moving tribute to Rotorua teen crash victim
Video Pick: Tribute to Okeroa Douglas
Editorial: Young life cut short a year after Black July
Rotorua's Black July: One year since teens in smash
Rotorua Girls' High students hurt in van crash
