Kiwi husband loses wife after 4WD tragedy

Kerry Arrow with her husband Phil Budding on their Healesville property where they married. Photo / Facebook, Kerry Budding

A new mother has died in Australia two weeks after her husband drove their four-wheel drive into a dam on their rural property in Victoria.

Child psychologist Dr Kerry Arrow was a passenger when her Kiwi husband Phil Budding drove their Nissan Pathfinder off a steep dirt driveway, plowing under water.

Dr Arrow died in Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she flown in a critical condition from her home at Healesville, north east of Melbourne, the

Herald Sun

reports.

Phil Budding was driving at the time, when their white Nissan Patrol drove off the side of the steep driveway and into the dam. Photo / 9News

The South African-born woman was on the way to see to her newborn son Jock, who was at the Mercy Hospital when the tragedy occurred on November 26.

Dr Arrow's New Zealand-born husband had dragged her from their submerged car.

Friends of the late clinical child psychologist have expressed their grief on social media.

"We lost a truly special person last night. I am honoured to have called you my friend," Dianne Axisa-Wynyard said on Facebook.

We lost a truly special person last night. I am honoured to have called you my friend Kerry Budding (Arrow). I cannot...

Posted by Di Maree Wynyard on Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Another friend Amanda Lewer, who had given the deceased mother horse riding lessons, said Dr Arrow was well liked.

"I am seriously sad to have lost such a great and real friend who would always have my back if I needed her," she said.

Not much really rattles me these days but the last few days I have carried a heavy weight as one of my bravest, most...

Posted by Amanda Lewer on Monday, 5 December 2016

Mr Budding was taken into police custody for questioning, but later released without charge, following the Saturday morning accident.

A Go Fund Me page, set up to help Mr Budding raise his young son, has been shared 872 times.

"Little Jock has had a rough start in life but there's a lot of love out there for him and it's time to show it be helping him and dad out with a bit of spare coin," it said.

"Jock's old man would never ask for help but that's never stopped his mates in the past and most certainly won't stop us now."

Police were investigating the circumstances of the Nissan ended up in the dam.