‘My daughter was a warrior’: Desert Rd crash victim’s mother shares her grief

Thursday, 4 June 2026

Hamilton woman Leidy Andrade Avirama and her two sons, aged eight years and seven months, were killed in a devastating crash on the Desert Road.

Avirama's 11-year-old daughter was left fighting for her life in the hospital following the collision, while an older daughter was not in the vehicle.

Speaking from Colombia, Avirama’s mother, Zully Avirama, says she is struggling to get information about the crash and is facing hurdles securing a humanitarian visa to travel to New Zealand.

Tributes are flowing online from the Colombian ex-pat community in New Zealand, who are rallying around the family and fundraising to support them.

The mother of the Hamilton woman killed alongside two of her children on the Desert Road says she’s in a “terrible state” as she mourns her “superwoman” daughter and two young grandchildren.

Colombian-born Leidy Andrade Avirama and her two sons, aged eight years and just seven months, were killed in the crash on SH1 in Waiouru over the weekend.

Leidy’s eleven-year-old daughter, who was also in the car, was left fighting for her life in hospital. An older daughter was not in the vehicle.

Speaking from her home in Colombia, Zully Avirama told Stuff she was struggling to get information on the crash that took the lives of her daughter and two grandsons.

“We know almost nothing,” the grieving grandmother said.

Zully also said she faced hurdles in obtaining a humanitarian visa to come to Aotearoa.

“I just pray that my granddaughters won’t suffer now that their mother is gone,” she said.

“My daughter was a warrior,” she told Stuff.

“She managed on her own with her four children and never complained about her hardships. She was the best mother, friend, sister, and daughter. She was the one who emotionally helped me get through my father’s death.

“Even when she was sad, she always had a big smile. She loved her family with all the love in the world. In a word, a superwoman.”

Do you know more? Email chris.marriner@stuffdigital.co.nz

Leidy Andrade Avirama was a prominent member of the Colombian ex-pat community in New Zealand and the community is rallying around the family, Stuff understands.

Family in New Zealand earlier shared details in an online fundraiser, saying Leidy had died alongside her sons, with her 11-year-old daughter the sole survivor.

Other members of the Colombian community have been sharing tributes online.

“The tragic departure of our friend Leidy and her young children leaves us with immense pain that is difficult to put into words. As Colombian migrants in New Zealand, we often live busy working, fighting for our families and pursuing our dreams, and sometimes we forget how important it is to stay together as a community,” one man wrote.

“This tragedy leaves me with a deep reflection: despite the differences, distances, and challenges we face in a foreign country, we still have the opportunity to support, accompany and build together.

“Rest in peace. Your memory will live forever in our hearts.”