Family's triple tragedy as fireball engulfs cars

A planned Mother's Day reunion ended in tragedy for an Auckland family who lost three relatives in a fiery car crash in Te Puna.

A relative of the victims said last night that he had lost his mother, sister and sister-in-law in Saturday night's crash between a minivan and a car.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said the women had been travelling in the minivan with two brothers, two nieces, his mother's first cousin and her daughter. The three women killed were aged 71, 45 and 32.

The extended family group had been heading to Tauranga to spend time with one of his brothers for Mother's Day.

But those plans were derailed when the two vehicles collided in a passing lane on State Highway 2, between Whakamarama and Te Puna, about 7.35pm.

Shortly after the smash, a large fire engulfed both vehicles and a tree on the roadside.

The relative of the victims said all three were wonderful and lovely people.

"They were going to Tauranga for Mother's Day ... because one of my brothers is there. They just wanted to go and spend the day with my brother."

The man's family was originally from Tonga. His mother moved to Auckland in 2003 and had five sons and three daughters.

The six other members of the man's family - including a 2-year-old girl - and the two occupants of the car, were treated for a range of moderate to serious injuries at Tauranga Hospital following the crash.

As the impact happened, I grabbed my niece. I put my arm around her.

Sam O'Brien

The uncle of a woman trapped and knocked unconscious in the crash feared his niece was dead when he tried to cut her free from their car as it burned, with his own finger hanging by a thread.

Sam O'Brien, 35, was travelling as a passenger in his niece's car as the two travelled back to his Te Puna home from Whakamarama on Saturday night.

Mr O'Brien told the Bay of Plenty Times they pulled over to the left side of State Highway 2 before attempting to cross the road to enter into his driveway on the other side about 7.35pm. The car then came into collision with the minivan, also travelling east.

From the crash scene yesterday morning, Mr O'Brien explained how they had pulled over and, "then boom, we were up in the air and ended up over here. Everything was just going backwards".

"As the impact happened, I grabbed my niece. I put my arm around her."

When the vehicles came to a stop, Mr O'Brien thought his niece was dead. Then he saw flames.

"I was a bit stunned ... I just rested her face on my shoulder while I turned the car off but the door, her door, was smashed in. I couldn't find her seatbelt so I called out to get a knife from home to cut her out because the car was on fire," he said.

"It was going up. It was in flames. And by the time my old lady's partner came [with the knife] the van was already on fire. We were on fire."

Mr O'Brien said his niece's legs were trapped down the bottom and he worried they did not have much time.

"She was out. I thought she was dead. My arms were dead too. Then she kind of woke up when we started to move her around. I didn't want to move her too much because she might have had injuries that we couldn't see.

"But the smoke was coming in. It was getting real foggy with smoke.

"We just had to get out of there."

Mr O'Brien managed to free his niece and pull her out of the wreckage. He laid her down several metres away until St John Ambulance staff were able to treat her and take her to hospital.

It was going up. It was in flames ... She was out. I thought she was dead.

Sam O'Brien

"My niece took the brunt of everything. It was a fast impact, just like that," he said.

"My whole side's battered and bruised, like I've been body slammed a million times.

"My finger was just hanging on by a bit of skin. It was cut off."

Mr O'Brien's niece was just days from celebrating her 21st birthday, he said.

She remained in a "stable" condition at Tauranga Hospital yesterday.

All other patients, five Aucklanders including the 2-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl, a 29-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman and a 57-year-old woman, plus a 41-year-old Gisborne man, were treated at Tauranga Hospital and discharged.

Tauranga Fire Service senior station officer Phil Price said the fire had already engulfed both vehicles and spread into nearby trees when they arrived. Mr Price estimated the flames reached 8m to 10m high.

"In terms of loss of life, I've been to more serious crashes, but the vehicles don't usually catch fire. This was particularly nasty," he said.

Mr Price said the two vehicles had locked together and it was 1am before their work at the scene was finished.

Fire investigators would work with police to determine the cause of the fire, Mr Price said.

Tauranga Senior Sergeant Chris Summerville said serious crash investigators conducted an initial scene examination but inquiries were continuing to establish further details as to the exact cause of the incident.

Police were keen to speak to any witnesses not already spoken to.

Additional reporting NZME.