'Don't speculate': Grieving friend urges public to hold off on blame after Takanini crash
The Takanini crash victims (from left): Sukhdeep Singh, 38; Sukhvir Kaur, 29; and Gurpreet Singh, 33. (Supplied photo)
Mandeep Singh remembers how Sukhdeep offered to take him on his courier rounds when he lost his job.
A longtime friend of one of the trio killed in the BurgerFuel crash in South Auckland has remembered him as a kind and charming man who was always willing to help others.
The trio killed in Sunday night's crash in Takanini have been named as Sukhdeep Singh, 33; his wife, Sukhvir Kaur, 29; and their brother-in-law, Gurpreet Singh, 38.
Mandeep Singh said Sukhdeep Singh had lived in New Zealand for seven years and operated an NZ Post courier business, while his wife had arrived just six months earlier.
Gurpreet Singh, who had lived in New Zealand for three years, worked as an NZ Post courier driver, he said. His wife and young son had remained in India, according to the Supreme Sikh Society.
The newlywed couple and their brother-in-law died after the car they were travelling in lost control at a roundabout on Great South Road, left the road and crashed through a BurgerFuel restaurant in Takanini.
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Sikh community plans fundraiser to bring bodies of Takanini crash victims to Punjab A newlywed couple were among the three who died, just minutes after leaving Diwali celebrations at a Manurewa gurdwara.
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RNZ understands the vehicle is believed to have been travelling at more than 150 km/h.
Mandeep Singh said he had known Sukhdeep Singh since 2015 and the two had been close friends for more than a decade.
He described his friend as "not too extroverted, but always helpful".
"I lost my job back in 2023," he said. "He asked me, 'If you want to come with me, we can deliver parcels together. I'll help you'."
Mandeep Singh said Sukhdeep had married in February this year, and the two had travelled to India on the same flight.
"When he came back, he was really happy because he got married," he said.
He recalled the newlyweds visiting his home, where they spent time watching movies and enjoying each other's company. Mandeep Singh described Sukhdeep's wife as "lovely and nice".
When Mandeep Singh saw news of the crash on Sunday night, he thought the car involved looked familiar. "We [had] bought the car together," he said.
"Then I thought, 'Why does the car look so similar to the one we bought?'"
Mandeep Singh said he later confirmed with a local temple that Sukhdeep and his family had attended Diwali celebrations on Sunday night.
He then learned that his friend was among those killed in the crash. "I was terrified because my hands were shaking," he said.
Mandeep Singh urged the public not to speculate whether his friend had been speeding or was responsible for the crash, while the investigation was ongoing.
"He did not use to drink alcohol," he said. "Police are doing their best to investigate what happened, and we have to wait until the results comes."
Emergency services were called to the crash just after 10:15pm on Sunday night. All three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. No one inside the building was injured.
(This story was first published on rnz.co.nz. Donate to a fundraiser organising money to send the bodies of the victims back to India.)
