A young mother killed in a triple-fatal crash in Waiuku with her daughter and niece was driving home after picking up the girls from school. 

Frances (Sesi) Latu-Vailea, her daughter Oneahi Vailea and niece Marly Tulua were killed when the car they were in crashed on Masters Rd on Tuesday afternoon. All were found dead at the scene. 

Latu-Vailea leaves behind three sons, including a baby just eight weeks old. Her husband is now their sole caregiver. 

A Givealittle page set up to support the two families has raised more than $30,000. 

A family member who did not want to be named said Latu-Vailea’s widower, Amanaki Vailea, was overwhelmed, not only by the community support but also by the efforts of the first responders and the man who first came across his wife’s car. 

She said the trio were on their way back from school when the crash happened. 

She described Latu-Vailea as a doting mother who loved her kids and would do “anything for them”. She worked hard to support her young family, who had been left “devastated”. 

Frances (Sesi) Latu-Vailea with daughter Oneahi. 

Latu-Vailea worked as a registrar in the South Auckland courts. 

The family member said Latu-Vailea was a massive fan of the Mate Ma’a Tonga rugby league team. 

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Amanaki Vailea had been “overwhelmed” by the community support, she said, and was thankful for the opportunity to grieve without worrying about the mortgage. 

She described Oneahi as a happy and bubbly child who was excited to be in her first term of school. 

“She loved dinosaurs and singing and dancing.” 

She said Marley’s family has requested “complete privacy”. 

‘You just go straight into f***ing-do-something mode’: Neighbour recalls sight 

Billy McLean, the first man on the scene, said he initially thought something had fallen off a truck when he heard the faint bang of the crash. 

His second thought was that it could have been a friend he was expecting shortly. 

Instead, after he walked from his shed down his long driveway, he found 40cm of the car sticking out of the water, and he immediately jumped into action. 

Flowers had been left at the Masters Rd scene on Wednesday morning. Photo / Michael Craig 

He said the car had flipped upside down. He could see a woman and two children inside, trapped. 

“I went up to about my elbow and found the door handle.” 

He said it appeared the car had hit a culvert on one side of his drive, flown over and then fallen in. 

He doubted the car had been speeding. He’d seen and heard car crashes before and said this one didn’t make anywhere near the same amount of noise. 

Counties Manukau South Area Commander, Inspector Jared Pirret, said the crash was “a confronting scene”. 

The scene of triple road fatality on Masters Rd, Waiuku. Photo / Michael Craig 

“All emergency services deployed to the scene and worked together to carry out a rescue operation, and we acknowledge their professionalism.” 

A councillor of the South Auckland regional community said residents were reeling after the tragic crash. 

“We’ve had our emergency services guys who are all locals, they’re all volunteers in the fire brigade and the police,” Franklin ward councillor Andy Baker said. 

“They’ll be reeling from this. So, you know, it’s just a terrible, terrible thing.”