Pothole link in fatal crash prompts mum‘s plea

Steph Pukepuke’s son Thomas died in October on the Kaimai Ranges, driving home after helping family shift furniture. Thomas Pukepuke was killed in a crash on the Kaimai Range, with his mother says initial investigations show was caused by a pothole. The Waikato University student was six weeks short of his 20th birthday. He had just finished his second year at Waikato University studying English, Media and Political Science, and won the Sam Barnes Screen and Media prize for 2022. The crash happened about 4.30pm, near the summit of the Kaimai Range.