Emergency services were called to a fatal crash in South Auckland on Sunday night after a car left the road and collided with a commercial building.
The collision happened just after 10:15 pm when a vehicle lost control at a roundabout on Great South Road in Takanini.
All three occupants inside the car died at the scene, police said. No one inside the building sustained injuries.
The three people killed in the South Auckland crash have been identified as Sukhdeep Singh, 33; his wife, Sukhvir Kaur, 29; and their brother-in-law, Gurpreet Singh, 38. The trio lived together in South Auckland and had been returning home from Diwali celebrations at a Sikh temple in Manurewa.
The couple had married in February, and Kaur had arrived in New Zealand just six months prior to the incident. Sukhdeep Singh had lived in the country for seven years and operated an NZ Post courier business.
Gurpreet Singh had lived in New Zealand for three years and also worked as an NZ Post courier driver, leaving behind a wife and young son in India, according to the Supreme Sikh Society.
Mandeep Singh, a close friend who had known Sukhdeep Singh since 2015, remembered him as a reliable and supportive companion. “I lost my job back in 2023,” Mandeep Singh told RNZ. “He asked me, 'If you want to come with me, we can deliver parcels together. I'll help you'.”
Mandeep Singh described his friend as “not too extroverted, but always helpful” and recalled Kaur as “lovely and nice”.
Daljit Singh, president of the Supreme Sikh Society, noted the profound impact of the incident on the wider community.
“It’s a huge tragedy for the community,” said Daljit Singh. Relatives and friends described the family as “very lovely” and “good” people.
Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Daniel Newman told the Herald that people were very sad about the tragedy, though he remained confounded by the circumstances. Initial information from police suggested the vehicle left the road and “became airborne” before striking the BurgerFuel building.
Families overseas are currently waiting for the return of the victims’ bodies to carry out traditional rituals in India. Daljit Singh explained that while the couple’s families have been informed, the parents of Gurpreet Singh have not yet been told of his death.
“Only his brothers know that he has died,” Daljit Singh said, adding that the brother waiting to break the news feared the immediate shock.
“He said the less time they have, the better it is for them,” Singh added. “Otherwise, it will give a big shock to them if we tell them right now, and it takes a long [time] for the bodies to reach there.”
Community members have established a Givealittle fundraising page to assist with the repatriation process, which is estimated to cost between $40,000 and $50,000. The fundraising effort has already raised more than $20,000 to cover transport expenses and support the families.
A local iwi organized a karakia at the crash site on Monday, inviting members of the Sikh community to attend. Daljit Singh said that community members would perform their prayers at the same time before the bodies are sent back to India following formal police identification.
Earlier coverage: Takanini Crash Kills Newlyweds and Brother-in-law, Police Say