Jane Young loved literature and wanted to become a journalist or a lawyer. Picture / Simon Baker
Hundreds of people remembered teenager Jane Young at an emotional memorial service in central Christchurch yesterday.
They celebrated the life of a beautiful 16-year-old girl, with a constant smile "that could light up a room", a passion for her friends, a great mind for literature, aspirations of being
a journalist or a lawyer - and a penchant for pulling pranks.
Friends recalled Jane enjoying a great night out before she and Hannah Rossiter, 16, were struck by a car outside a party and later died. Several others were injured and one person, Ben Devine, is still in a critical condition.
Jane, with her English accent, had been causing hysterics by trying to imitate the movie character Borat.
"That was Jane. She was always trying to make people laugh," a friend said.
The diminutive teen was described as the "skinniest little fat girl" around because of her love for fast food and sugar.
"She would never go one day without a can of Coke and two straws and a Milky Bar."
She would often drive her friends around even though she was on a restricted driving licence, and often dodged police to avoid a fine. She labelled herself the "drift queen" after one attempted u-turn ended up with her drifting her car around a corner.
One friend remembered Jane trying to spit into a strong wind on the Christchurch Pier, only to have it blow back into her face.
Jane's older brother Chris said he had lost his sister, his best friend and his counsellor.
"A large part of me died in that hospital with her."
He said his sister was "incredibly well-read", often reading a book in a day and quoting poems off the top of her head.
Jane attended alternative secondary school Unlimited Tawhiti Paenga and had also recently completed a university paper on philosophy in which she achieved a C+ pass she did not live to see.
The service ended with a video in which Jane was jokingly trying to kick herself in the head.
Having given up her antics, her voice from the video closed the service: "That's a wrap."
* The man accused of her murder, Lipine Sila, 22, appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday. He will reappear in court next month on two murder charges and a charge of driving with excess breath-alcohol.
