An elderly man has died and two seriously injured in a horrific road crash on State Highway 3. Emergency services were called to the scene, approximately 5 km north of the Awakino Tunnel, Waitomo District at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, February 19.
The man is identified to be Haji Abu Bakar Ramli, a Malaysian national, in his late 50s lived in New Plymouth.
According to sources, Mr Abu Bakar was relocating to Auckland with his family when the accident happened. His wife and daughter were in the second car following him and escaped the crash. Mr Abu Bakar died on the scene and the two injured have been taken by an ambulance to Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious condition.
“The funeral services will be held at the New Plymouth Islamic Centre on Monday, February 20 and he will be buried at Awanui Cemetary,” Adeel Baig, President of Muslim Association of Taranaki said.
“A portion of Awanui Cemetary is reserved as a Muslim Burial Site, allocated by the New Plymouth District Council,” he added.
“Mr Abu Bakar was a loving and a soft-spoken person, the community is shocked by this news,” a close family friend of the deceased said.
Motorists are asked to avoid the area or to delay travel wherever possible. The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.