Indian-origin Uber driver Ramandeep Dhillon dies in NZ crash

An Indian-origin father of one has died after a tragic two-vehicle crash while working a late evening Uber shift in New Zealand, leaving his family devastated.

36-year-old Ramandeep Dhillon from Pāpāmoa was killed on Wednesday when his vehicle was involved in a crash on Te Puke Highway, between Bell Road and Poplar Lane, around 7.15pm.

Police said one person died at the scene, while two occupants of the other vehicle were injured. The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation and have been referred to the Coroner.

Dhillon had left home earlier that evening after spending time with his wife, Veerpal Kaur, and their 18-month-old daughter, Kudrat. He told them he would return later for dinner, but never came back.

When he stopped answering calls, concern grew before police arrived later that night to inform his wife of his death.

“I cried, I cried, I cried. I felt that my life is spoiled now,” Kaur told NZ Herald.

Dhillon was born in Punjab, India and moved to New Zealand in 2015 on a student visa. He later returned to India in 2024 to marry Kaur after they were introduced through family connections.

After their marriage, the couple settled in Pāpāmoa, Bay of Plenty, where they worked in kiwifruit orchards before Dhillon later began driving for Uber to support the family and spend more time at home after their daughter was born.

Kaur said the job gave him flexibility to stay close to his child, and described how excited he was about becoming a father.

“He was so excited when he found out he was going to be a dad," she told NZ Herald.

The couple named their daughter Kudrat, meaning “nature."

Since his death, the toddler has continued asking where her father is.

Friends and family described Dhillon as a devoted husband and father who always prioritised time with his daughter, even during work breaks.

“If he missed his daughter, he would come home, spend time with her, then go back to work,” a close friend told NZ Herald.

His best friend of 12 years, Gurlabh Singh, said Dhillon was a positive and caring person who supported those around him, including picking him up from the airport when he first arrived in NZ.

A Givealittle page set up for the family has raised tens of thousands of dollars to help cover funeral costs, rent and living expenses as Kaur and their daughter face life without him.