Dead hitchhiker 'caring father'

The man who was killed on Tuesday after hitching a ride in a car stolen by three youths was going to Auckland to earn some money for his daughter's 12th birthday yesterday, relatives say.

Tangi preparations at Tauwhara Marae in Waimate North began yesterday for 34-year-old Frederick Te Aparua Murphy who was killed when the car he was in collided head-on with another vehicle north of Warkworth.

Mr Murphy will be buried in the Waimate Mission Cemetery next to his parents on Saturday.

An aunt of Mr Murphy's said he was an "extremely humble and caring person" who gave up his job as a hairdresser to take care of his grandmother in Waimate North.

"That was his nature, to help people, and he was quite an independent person who wouldn't go around asking for things," said Rangianiwa Hoto.

She said he would often hitchhike to Whangarei to see his two children.

He would also go to Auckland occasionally to work, and was on his way there when he was picked up by the three youths in Kerikeri.

Another aunt said he would often walk to places because he had no car.

"Here was an innocent person who accepted a ride and everything happened all at once," she said.

His sister, Erica Murphy, told One News last night: "Fred was a very creative person. He had two beautiful children.

"He was a people's person. He was kind and generous and he was just a hitchhiker that day."

Mr Murphy was picked up by a 16-year-old driving a stolen silver Mercedes. He and a teenager were killed in the collision and two others were badly injured.