Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to two Chinese nationals who were victims of a crash in Victoria's west that claimed three lives.
Michael Zheng, 38, and his wife Angela Wang, 31, died at the scene after their car was involved in a collision with a Mitsubishi Triton and a truck at Ledcourt about 6.45pm on September 27.
Tenesha Fieldsend, 14, a passenger in the Mitsubishi, driven by a learner driver, later died at hospital.
The couple, who recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary, had been living in the town of Horsham, approximately 300 kilometres west of Melbourne.
Friends have described them as two "wonderful people" with "so much hope for their future in Australia".
Mr Zheng had recently been promoted as the manager of the Horsham Dentist Group, while Ms Wang was a nurse at Grampians Health.
JingJing Tang got to know the couple last year when she was helping them look for their missing dog.
Ms Tang said they were a lovely young couple.
"They had been granted Australian permanent residency last year, and I remember how happy and hopeful they were about building their life here," she said.
Ms Tang last spoke to Mr Zheng and Ms Wang a few months ago, when they came to Ms Tang's newly opened takeaway restaurant for a meal.
"The shop wasn't busy, so we sat together and talked for quite a long time," she said.
"I could never have imagined that would be the last time I would see them.
"Looking back now, that ordinary and happy conversation has become a very precious memory for me."
During that conversation, Ms Tang said the couple had spoken about their new home being built in Ballarat, and their hopes for the future — including having a baby one day.
"It's heartbreaking that their journey ended. I hope they are together in heaven now … continuing the dreams and beautiful life they had planned together."
A heartbreaking wait for friends
Simon Yan, one of Mr Zhang's colleagues, said he was always quick to reply, even on weekends, so the team was shocked when they hadn't heard from him on Monday.
"We tried to follow up with him after work, that's when I think the first news of the car crash came out," Dr Yan said.
A few of Ms Wang's friends had stopped at the couple's house to check on them, he said.
"The fact that they hadn't been identified for quite a long time, it was torturous … just thinking that it could possibly be them, but even just the tiniest glimmer of hope that it wasn't them, that was what we were just clinging onto."
Dr Yan said he had been a "wreck" since the news broke.
"It's been hard going to sleep and everything … I wake up during the night," he said.
Dr Yan said Mr Zheng, who had been at the dental clinic since March last year, had made his mark as a "lovely and warm" person whom the team viewed as family.
"He was always there for us, supported us through everything, he was our sounding board, he was our rock … It's hard to imagine going on without him."
Clinic owner and dentist Catherine Feng said the entire team was devastated.
"I was in shock, in disbelief, especially after holding out hope about the unidentified people in the car … We all broke down crying when we found out."
Colleagues said he was a dedicated manager and loved by everyone.
"We are just struggling to come to terms that he's gone. Every day we come to work … you just expect to see him [there] smiling like every other single day," Dr Feng said.
"The team respected him a lot, and we all miss him a lot right now … the clinic feels a little bit emptier without him."
She said while they had never met Ms Wang, her husband would always talk about her fondly.
More tributes for teenage victim
Earlier this week, the volleyball coach of Tenesha Fieldsend paid tribute to the "bubbly, bright and energetic" teenager.
Tenesha, who was from Sale, east of Melbourne, had been returning from a volleyball tournament in Horsham with her family when the crash took place.
She had represented LaTrobe Valley Volleyball at the Victorian junior country championships, where her team won bronze in the under-17 girls division.
In a statement posted online, Tenesha's school, Sale Catholic College, said she was a valued member of the year 8 cohort and that her loss had been deeply felt by her friends, classmates, teachers and the wider school community.
"During this difficult time, we stand together as a community supporting one another with compassion, kindness and care, while remembering the joy and memories Tenesha brought to those around her," the statement read.
Victoria Police said the investigation into the crash is continuing.
