Children waved balloons and held signs as procession passed school on young girl’s final journey. Video / NZ Herald
They came in red band gummies and barefeet, clutching brightly-coloured balloons and lining the street in a tiny community trying to come to terms with a tragedy.
Three days ago their Tuakau Primary schoolmate Terase Wylie died after an incident involving a vehicle in a driveway on Martindale Lane, in the small North Waikato settlement 11km south of Pukekohe. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Her family paid tribute to the six-year-old who died as the result of a “tragic accident”.
“You will always be in our heart as our little angel,” they wrote. “You were gone too soon.”
Today, her school invited the public to say goodbye as the girl began her “final journey”.
“The last service for our Tuakau whaanau and community will take place at 10am [Friday] at the family home on Martindale Lane”, they wrote, after which a procession would pass along several streets before going past Tuakau School.
The Tuakau community gathered on streets in the small Waikato settlement this morning to support each other after a girl was killed in an incident on a driveway on Tuesday. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Kids and their families were invited to “wave goodbye as [she] and her whaanau head home to Tuurangi”, they wrote.
This morning more than 70 people, from babes-in-arms to the elderly and including many primary school-aged children, lined School Rd on a drizzly weekday to honour the girl’s final journey and show aroha to her whānau.
More waited outside homes and businesses on adjacent streets, pink, purple, yellow and orange balloons fixed to their fences.
“We’re here to support her family”, said mum-of-one Pēata Huiarangi as she stood outside her School Rd home with her younger sister and 4-year-old son.
“This is the thing you never ever want to think of.”
People of all ages lined School Rd in Tuakau as a procession for the dead girl drove past this morning. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Outside Dandy & Lion Early Learning Centre tiny tots stood silently with their love heart drawings; nearby an older child held a bunch of perfectly white flowers.
Parents, clutching little hands tightly, embraced as they waited for the procession to arrive - then spoke words of support as the Tuakau School van carrying the girl’s coffin and her family crawled past.
The girl's coffin was driven past her school - Tuakau Primary - during this morning's procession. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The 12-vehicle procession passed within two minutes, with those gathered slowly drifting away afterwards.
It’d helped to join the community in saying goodbye, Sheryl Walker said.
The mum-of-6 has two kids at Tuakau School.
“My girls wanted to show their respects. [Yes], this helped. We’ve just come together to support the family and the school.”
Mourners embrace outside Tuakau School this morning as a procession takes place following the death of a pupil on Tuesday. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Among the last to leave was Tejinder Kaur, who with her son tied a bunch of balloons to a fence outside the school.
She didn’t know the girl’s family, but she was grieving with them.
“I’m very sad. My heart is very hurt.”
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
