The accident happened on Monday on the highway between Napier and Taupō, which police have described as one of the country's most lethal.
A convoy of three vans of seasonal workers from Hastings were travelling to Taupō for a holiday, but tragedy struck - at a turnoff to the Tarawera cafe, a popular stop along the road, one of the vans collided with a truck.
Tino Tagiilima was a passenger in the van and died at the scene.
His aunt Lofa Tuimaualuga told RNZ her brother - Tino's father who lives in Australia - called her distraught yesterday afternoon.
