In the immediate aftermath, a helicopter was brought in to search the area to rule out a fourth person being involved. Singh said the search was prompted by a car seat in the vehicle, but no child was in the car at the time.<\/p>\n
Singh described all three men as \u201cextremely hardworking\u201d people who had come from underprivileged and poor backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were all very driven, very hardworking, and so thankful and appreciative to have the opportunity to be working in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy uncle always called New Zealand home and was so determined to make it work here for his family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandeep Singh and his wife and son, who live in India.<\/p>\n
At midnight, just minutes after the accident, when phone calls to all three of the men were left unanswered, Manjinder\u2019s wife had a \u201cgut feeling\u201d something was wrong.<\/p>\n
Singh told the Herald Manjinder\u2019s wife had last spoken to him just an hour earlier.<\/p>\n
She said it was \u201cvery unlike\u201d Manjinder not to answer, so a group of the men\u2019s family and friends went to the police station to express concern.<\/p>\n
Police were able to pull up the registration plate, which last showed the group headed through Wai\u014duru.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the road was closed on Google Maps and thought they were being detoured. Turns out it was actually for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Varinderpal Singh.<\/p>\n
Singh said that 10 minutes later, after further investigation, an officer came back and broke the devastating news to the family.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018They have been in an accident and, sadly, all three have passed\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was it, that was all we got.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was unbelievable. You hear things like this in the news, but it\u2019s hard to feel about it properly until it happens to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Singh described her uncle as a \u201csmart and on-the-go type of man\u201d, with whom she was very close.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe told him all the time he needed to slow down in life because he was always in a hurry and always go, go, go and we were worried he\u2019d get sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe taught his wife how to drive on her first day in New Zealand. We all said, \u2018You can\u2019t do that,\u2019 but he insisted, and now she has gained independence and drives \u2013 that\u2019s a big deal, because not many Indian women drive back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manjinder Singh and his two daughters.<\/p>\n
The group had lived and worked in Tauranga since arriving on work permits in mid-2023. Sandeep and Varinderpal were distant relatives, while Manjiinder was unrelated to the men.<\/p>\n
Manjinder was a client service and operations manager in the horticulture industry and worked alongside Sandeep and Varinderpal, who were orchid workers for horticulture company Grow More, owned by Sharan.<\/p>\n
Manjinder leaves behind a wife and two young daughters, aged 3 and 7, living in New Zealand; Sandeep Singh has a wife and son back in India; and Varinderpal Singh was unmarried.<\/p>\n
Manjinder Singh\u2019s final rites will be held in Tauranga, where he will be cremated. His father is set to fly from India to join the service.<\/p>\n