Crash victim had bright future

Amanda Brunt died when her car crossed the centre line and collided with another on Sunday. Photo / Greg Bowker

Amanda Brunt had turned things around qualifying in beauty therapy, opening her own clinic and attracting a steady stream of new clients when her life was tragically cut short.

The 34-year-old from Hamilton died after losing control of her BMW on a corner, crossing the centre line and smashing into an oncoming vehicle on Hakarimata Rd, north of Ngaruawahia, on Sunday afternoon.

Her death was one of three fatal accidents over two days on Waikato roads. The region is showing a reversal of the national downward trend of road deaths with its toll at 25 - more than twice that of the next highest district road toll of 12 in the Bay of Plenty.

Ms Brunt's long-time friend, who asked to be known only by Vikki, said they met at an ante-natal class 15 years ago, shortly before the birth of her only child, Kurt.

She said Ms Brunt, whose Hamilton beauty clinic specialised in holistic healing and organic beauty and who was a qualified reiki masseuse, had had things tough but was getting her life back on track.

"She had had a rough life and was turning her life around getting her qualifications and building her business up and then this happened.

"She was a beautiful woman, she was very young and very gorgeous-looking and was so looking forward to things."

Vikki said Ms Brunt had been in the beauty business for just a couple of years but had secured business at various Hamilton gyms as a masseuse.

She said Ms Brunt wanted to start her own beauty line and eventually franchise her business.

Ms Brunt's funeral will be held in Hamilton tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a funeral service for Shaun Richard Nilson, who died after the car in which he was a passenger crashed into a power pole, then a tree on Hamilton's Heaphy Tce early Saturday morning, will be held at Hamilton Boys' High School tomorrow.

The 17-year-old was thrown through the car's windscreen despite wearing a seatbelt.

Dozens of people farewelled Shaun on a Facebook page to his memory. Among those was Alex Stockley, who remembered him as "straight up one of the goodest, cheekiest, nicest and funniest guys I knew".

"You always knew how to put a smile on my face."

Police believe the 16-year-old Hamilton driver of the car had been drinking.

Ms Brunt's death was followed by that of a man thought to be in his 40s, who crashed through a fence and into a tree on Kereone Rd, about 10km east of Morrinsville, on Monday afternoon.

Waikato district road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said the region's road toll would slow if people drove safely.

"The reality is that given the laws of physics objects such as trees, banks, ditches and buildings can be very unforgiving when vehicles collide into them and over the past few days we have had several incidents of this."

- Additional reporting NZPA