Days after new job, truck driver killed on way to work

Just a week before his death, Sandeep Singh was full of optimism as he celebrated with friends at a party.  Reported by Amy Ridout from Stuff. 

“He was beaming,” said his friend, Himanshu (Ash) Parmar.

Singh had recently started a new job as a truck driver and was excited about the opportunity. As the sole breadwinner for his wife and children, he was eager to share the good news. Originally from India’s Punjab region, Singh had high hopes for the future.

“He was telling me about this job and how excited he was,” Parmar said. “He was just so happy, so full of life, very excited.”

Less than a week later, Singh died in a fatal crash while on his way to work. Police said emergency services responded to a two-vehicle collision on Te Rapa Rd in the western Hamilton suburb of Beerescourt at around 12.30am on Friday. Two people were found dead at the scene.

As of Saturday, police had not released further details about how the crash occurred or the identities of those involved.

“There's still not a lot of clarity how the crash has happened and who might be at fault,” Parmar said.

“We're not feeling angry, we're just feeling very upset ... our family's lost a person, and obviously the [other] person's died as well, which is a shame; the young person had so much opportunity ahead in his life.

“We'd like to know what happened, and what could be done maybe to prevent it because no one should go to work at 12.30 in the morning and die.

“You wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy, to die like that and to leave a wife and kids behind.”

Singh’s wife and children were in India when they received news of his death. Parmar said they were devastated and are now travelling back to New Zealand.

Singh had lived in New Zealand for more than two years, having followed his wife here in hopes of building a better life.

“Other than his wife, he's got no relatives here. His parents are in India, so we're working hard on making a plan to get him back so his family can do the final rites and see him one last time.”

Parmar remembered Singh as a kind and selfless person who always helped others.

“I was speaking to [the person who held last weekend’s party], he said [Singh] hung around till 1.30am, helping with the clean up, making sure everything was tidied up. That’s the kind of person he is.”

Singh dreamed of settling permanently in New Zealand, buying a home, and providing a secure future for his family.

“His next hope and goal would have been to become a Kiwi, and buy a house, and save some money. But for now all of his focus was on the kids and his family.”

Parmar has since launched a Givealittle campaign to support Singh’s widow and help return his body to India. By mid-morning on Saturday, $17,000 had been raised to cover part of the repatriation costs.