• Filipino father Jesan Tampus, 48, was killed in a crash after a driver allegedly fleeing police crossed the centre line and smashed into two vehicles in Penrose.
• His flatmate said he had visited his wife and three children – aged 27, 22 and 19 - in the Philippines just three weeks earlier.
• The 22-year-old speeding driver has been charged with reckless driving causing death and injury and is set to appear before the courts on Friday.

The flatmate of a Filipino father killed in an Auckland crash spoke to the victim just two hours before a driver allegedly fleeing police crossed the centre line and struck the car he was in.

Jesan Tampus, 48, has been identified as the man killed in the crash on Great South Rd in Penrose shortly before 2pm on Sunday. Tampus was a passenger in the vehicle and the driver also remains in hospital with critical injuries.

Police have since revealed a 22-year-old allegedly fleeing police at excess speed crossed the centre line and crashed into two vehicles near the intersection with Sundown Lane. Tampus was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tampus’ flatmate, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald he was still “really shocked” at the incident and that it was “really hard to get up and move on” this morning.

Jesan Tampus was killed after a driver allegedly fleeing police crashed into two cars on Great South Rd in Penrose on Sunday. Photo / Michael Craig

He believed Tampus moved to New Zealand in 2016 by himself for work. He said the tradie had been to the Philippines just three weeks earlier to visit his wife and three children – aged 27, 22 and 19.

He described Tampus as a good friend and “really good man”.

“I saw him about 12pm on Sunday and we had a 10-minute chat because I was cooking at the time. We spoke about normal stuff like work and he told me he wasn’t planning to go anywhere that day,” the man said.

Shortly after he noticed Tampus had left the Mt Roskill home with a work friend who lived nearby.

He said police arrived at the residence on Sunday afternoon to give them the news.

A Facebook post about the crash said: “The families of the victims are struggling and still coming to terms [with] this sudden misfortune.”

Auckland-based Filipino community leader Dennis Magcalas earlier said Tampus’ family was now working to get him back to the Philippines for a traditional burial.

The 22-year-old speeding driver has been charged with reckless driving causing death and injury and is set to appear before the courts on Friday. Photo / Michael Craig

Magcalas had spoken to his son on the phone and said the family were devastated.

“They were saying, ‘It’s all gone, our dad’s gone, all our dreams are gone’,” he said.

“They don’t know how they are going to start again.”

He said Tampus had travelled to New Zealand to set up a new life for them and they were eventually going to move here.

Magcalas said he worked as a tradesman in East Auckland and lived with flatmates.

The family had authorised him to sign paperwork on their behalf to help get Tampus’ body home.

The Philippine-based family were struggling with the costs of transporting the body back home and were frantically trying to pull together funds amidst their grief.

Man, 22, charged with reckless driving causing death and injury

Detective Inspector Kevan Verry, of the Counties Manukau CIB, said shortly before 2pm on Sunday, a police officer sighted a vehicle travelling at excess speed along Vestey Drive.

“Moments later the vehicle crossed the centre line and crashed into two other vehicles near the intersection of Great South Rd, Penrose and Sundown Lane.”

Verry said a passenger from one of the vehicles struck was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the same vehicle was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The driver of the other vehicle hit sustained minor injuries and didn’t require treatment.

“We would like to acknowledge the impact that yesterday’s events will have had on the community and our thoughts are with everyone involved,” Verry said.

“We are providing support to those affected and their families, as well as our staff who were impacted.”

Verry said the 22-year-old driver of the speeding vehicle had been charged with reckless driving causing death and reckless driving causing injury in relation to the incident, and is set to appear in Manukau District Court on Friday.

The man charged also suffered critical injuries and remains in hospital in a stable condition.

Several investigations into the incident are under way, including a critical incident investigation and a policy, practice, and procedure investigation. The Independent Police Conduct Authority has also been notified.

Police asked for anyone who may have seen a grey Holden Commodore in the Panama Rd, Great South Rd and Vestey Drive areas between 1.30pm and 2pm yesterday to get in contact.

“Please update Police online or call 105 and use the reference number 250316/5377 or cite ‘Operation Kershaw ‘.”

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.