Mother horrified crash crosses vandalised

Flowers at the site of the crash in 2008. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

The mother of two children killed in a car crash in 2008 is horrified a hand-made cross erected to remember her son's life, and a cross erected to remember the life of a friend who died in the same smash, have been vandalised.

Kayla Rose, and siblings Samantha and Josh Garner, died as the result of a car crash in Maungatapu on June 15.

The crash instantly killed 24-year-old Josh Garner, the driver of the vehicle, and 14-year-old Kayla Rose died the following day.

Samantha Garner, 14, Joshua's sister, died three weeks later in Starship Hospital.

Three crosses were erected at the crash scene opposite the Maungatapu roundabout shortly after their deaths, and in the past week, two have been vandalised.

Kayla's cross was vandalised last week, and Josh's overnight on Sunday.

Josh's cross was snapped in the middle, and Kayla's broken at the base.

For Josh's mother Raewyn Garner, the vandalism comes as a cruel blow, considering it is Josh's birthday tomorrow. He would have been 27.

"My sister drove past them and contacted me.

"I burst into tears.

"How could someone do that to their crosses? What's the reason?," she said.

Ms Garner said it was the second time in a week Kayla's cross had been vandalised.

The marked crosses, two pink and one white, were handmade by Ms Garner's son-in-law Marshall Howell, and were decorated with butterflies.

Ms Garner said the crosses would be fixed.

"My grandchildren, my son, they all go past there everyday, which is hard in some respects, but it reminds other [motorists] how dangerous it can be," she said.

It had been raining the night of the fatal crash, and as Josh drove back from picking up Samantha and Kayla from Mosaic Church, he left the Maungatapu roundabout and lost control.

The police report revealed drugs or alcohol did not play a part in the crash, however Josh was travelling too fast for the conditions.

The car crashed into a power pole.

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