On the last day of his life, Ramandeep Dhillon spent time with his wife and their toddler, who has inherited his smile. 

Then, on Wednesday last week, he left home for his shift as an Uber driver. He never returned. 

About 7.15pm, the Pāpāmoa 36-year-old was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Te Puke Highway, between Bell Rd and Poplar Lane. 

Police confirmed the next day that one person had died at the scene. Two people from the other vehicle were injured. 

Dhillon’s wife, Veerpal Kaur, said the road was one he drove often. 

Earlier that day, the couple had spent time together with their 18-month-old daughter, Kudrat. 

Kaur said Dhillon left that evening for work, telling them he would return later for dinner. 

But after some time, she stopped hearing from him. 

A police officer arrived at their home later that night to tell her that her husband had died in a crash. 

“I cried, I cried, I cried. 

“I felt that my life is spoiled now.” 

Ramandeep Dhillon spent his final morning with his wife and toddler daughter. 

Dhillon, who was born in Punjab, northwest India, met his future wife through family connections at a party. 

They became friends before he proposed. 

“I thought that he’s a very good, thinking person and he’s innocent, loyal, and at that time he’s a perfect match for me. 

“He did everything for me, and I can’t forget his love.” 

Dhillon moved to New Zealand on a student visa in 2015, though returned briefly to India to marry Kaur in 2024. 

They moved to New Zealand together and settled in Pāpāmoa, where both worked on kiwifruit orchards. 

After his daughter was born, Dhillon started driving for Uber, choosing flexibility that let him care for her. 

“He was so excited when he found out he was going to be a dad.” 

The couple named their daughter Kudrat, meaning “nature”, in honour of his deep love for the outdoors. 

“We go outside, watch a movie, go to the park, Sikh temple, and go to the hill, and sometimes we love to [take a] long drive.” 

She said their daughter closely resembled her father and had inherited his smile. 

She kept asking where her father was. 

Kaur said Dhillon loved healthy food, morning coffee and embraced every part of Kiwi culture. 

“His thinking is the same, like a Kiwi.” 

Ramandeep Dhillon and Veerpal Kaur, who loved dressing in matching clothing. 

His best friend of 12 years, Gurlabh Singh, described Dhillon as a “perfect friend”. 

“He’s a nice guy, he’s friendly, he’s a good husband, good daddy, good son for his mum.” 

The pair met while studying in New Zealand and lived together for a few years. 

Singh said his friend was always positive. 

“If I’m angry he said to me, ‘Why are you angry? Come with me, I will have lots of things to talk [about] with you.’” 

Dhillon loved his daughter deeply and made spending time with her a daily priority. 

“If at any time he misses his daughter, he comes home, spends time with her, then goes back to work.” 

When Singh first arrived in New Zealand, it was Dhillon who was waiting to pick him up from the airport. 

Singh was among the first to go searching for Dhillon when he didn’t arrive home on time. 

He found the police cordon and asked officers whether the vehicle involved belonged to his friend. 

Although officers couldn’t confirm it at the time, Singh later learned that Dhillon had died at the scene. 

His funeral was held on Wednesday, drawing a large crowd, with people travelling from across New Zealand to attend. 

A Givealittle page set up for the family has raised more than $33,000 to help cover funeral costs, rent and day-to-day living expenses. 

Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.