Former Feilding High pupils die in crash

Two young women died in a head-on smash in Manawatu today.

The crash happened about 1.30pm on Stewart Road, close to the intersection with State Highway 3.

A police spokesman said it appeared a Ford vehicle travelling from Sanson toward Feilding went out of control, crossed the centre-line and collided with a Range Rover travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Ford, a 17-year-old Feilding woman, and her front seat passenger, an 18-year-old Sanson woman both died at the scene.

A 54-year-old Palmerston North man, who was driving the Range Rover, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Holly Ann Eades, 17, from Feilding, was driving a Ford Laser that collided with a Range Rover on Stewart Rd on Saturday about 1.30pm. Holly and passenger Jackie Maree Miller, 18, from Sanson, died at the scene. Both were former Feilding High School students.

The driver and sole occupant of the Range Rover, a 54-year-old man from Palmerston North, was treated at hospital for minor injuries.

Mrs Gray, Copperbelt Lodge owner and horse trainer, said the girls were "credits to their parents" and she would "soon enough have them for my own daughters".

The girls worked fulltime at the stables.

Mrs Gray said they were both "wonderful girls" and hard workers.

"Both of them were always at work on time. And when they were going to be late, they would make sure they called and let us know."

Mrs Gray said that by 2.30pm her husband, race horse trainer Kevin Gray, realised something was wrong. "He made the call to Holly's mother who went out searching for them and found them." Mrs Gray said the families of the two girls would be "utterly devastated".

Jackie had been working at the stables for three years and Holly for nine months.

Mrs Gray said they both loved what they did, and Holly had hoped to gain her qualifications to work in stables overseas.

"I couldn't speak any more highly of them, they were just treasures to their families and to everyone here. It is tragic their lives have been cut short this way.