Joshua Heath’s family and friends heartbroken after ‘sacred’ Te Ngae Rd memorial stripped bare

Joshua Heath's memorial, pictured in March this year, has been mysteriously removed. Photo / Andrew Warner.

The family of a Rotorua teenager killed by a drunk driver a year ago is heartbroken after a memorial honouring his life was mysteriously taken.

Joshua Heath, 19, was killed in a crash on Te Ngae Rd after a friend lost control of the vehicle they were in.

The driver was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail after pleading guilty to recklessly causing Joshua's death and refusing to give a blood sample.

The re-established memorial for Joshua Heath, who was killed in a drink-driving crash about a year ago. Photo / Laura Smith

In the time following the crash, Joshua's friends and family placed treasured mementoes, flowers and a picture at the site on Te Ngae Rd, next to Puarenga Park. It served as a visual reminder to drivers to take care on the road, and as a touching tribute for Joshua's friends and family, who miss him each day.

So the family was heartbroken to learn the memorial had been removed.

Joshua's mother, Nikki Heath, said one of her son's friends drove past the memorial on Saturday about 7pm and saw that the memorial was still all there.

"You always look at it when you go past," Heath said.

His friends and family would say "hello" as they did so, she said.

But when the friend returned home at 9pm, it was gone.

"At first we thought someone had walked past and grabbed some of the stuff, but, no, it was totally cleaned out," Heath said.

Joshua's photo had been taken from the memorial previously. Heath said it had been replaced.

The memorial for Joshua Heath vanished over the weekend. Loved ones have since placed more flowers and photos. Photo / Laura Smith

She said she also knew the memorial would probably have to be moved at some point if there were roadworks or developments, but who did it now, and why, was a mystery. The memorial was created by Joshua's friends following the crash.

"I feel sorry for them — it's a kick in the guts for them as well."

She said the timing of it was especially heart-breaking, the family having just marked the one-year anniversary of Joshua's death last month.

The family was sad and angry.

"It's really disrespectful. Who would do that?"

Heath wondered if someone had decided it had been there long enough — but she did not think it was their decision.

However, the support the family has received since has been overwhelming. The memorial site itself has been renewed with flowers, messages and a photo from those wanting to continue to honour his memory.

"I've had flowers delivered home and messages. It's just amazing. He touched so many people, really, Joshy," Heath said.

The family was aware someone had been seen at the memorial site putting items into their car on Saturday night but "it's a bit of a mystery, really".

But it was not the plastic flowers the family cared about and nothing there was valuable. For the family, the site was sacred. "It's hard enough, what we've been through this year, without having that thrown at us out of the blue," Heath said.

She said if the person who took the items had a heart they would return the momentoes. "For the sake of the kids that put them there ... they are all quite disgusted and hurt."

A Rotorua Lakes Council spokeswoman said the council had not removed the items, and this had been confirmed with the family.

The spokeswoman said removal of such items might be required in locations where this was not permitted, if they were an impediment or causing an issue or if work was happening in the area but this would be worked through with the family.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency confirmed it did not remove anything related to Joshua’s memorial on Te Ngae Rd. A spokesperson said it checked with its contractors Higgins and Downer who were working in the wider vicinity and both have confirmed nothing has been removed by their teams.