Sole survivor of horror crash farewells seven family members

NZ Herald

3 May, 2019 11:39 PM2 mins to read

The Poutawa-Luke Whanau in March 2016. Photo / Facebook

The sole survivor of Sunday's highway tragedy which killed his parents and five of his siblings was among the mourners at their tangi this morning.

David Poutawa, 9, was in a wheelchair, his right leg and left arm bandaged, after being discharged from hospital on Wednesday following Sunday's head-on crash on State Highway 1 between Wairakei and Atiamuri.

He and his other surviving brother Legacy, who was at home with his grandmother when the crash happened, watched as their seven family members were farewelled at Timikara Marae, Moteo, in the Hawke's Bay.

Hundreds gathered in and around Timikara, a home for Ngati Hinepare and Ngati Mahu hapu. The caskets of parents David Poutawa and Margaret Luke and their five children Trinity, Chanley, Jahnero, Akacia, and Khyus, who were aged 7-13, lay in a marquee near the wharenui Te Whanau Pani, surrounded by carvings, photographs and paintings of those who had passed before them.

Margs Luke and David Poutawa, who died in the two car crash at Atiamuri, on State Highway 1.

The driver of the oncoming vehicle, Lower Hutt woman Jenny Rodgers, 51, also died and her funeral will be held in Lower Hutt on Monday.

Prior to a recent move to the South Waikato town, the children had all gone to Puketapu School, near Moteo. The school, with a large community around its 240 pupils, has committed itself to supporting the whanau, marae and hapu, particularly since the caskets arrived about 1am on Thursday.

Meanwhile, police continue investigations into the crash which happened in wet conditions. It took this year's road toll across the central North Island from Taranaki to the East Coast and Bay of Plenty to 73, up 19 on the first four months of last year and more than half the provisional nationwide toll of 137 to the end of April.

Police said earlier in the week that while the crash happened in wet conditions it was unclear if it was raining at the crash site at the time, and there were no known witnesses.