This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Three people from Sevier County died in an automobile crash in New Zealand this week.
The crash killed Mitch and Ruth Peterson, of Monroe, and Tammy Barnett, of Richfield.
Barnett's husband, Richard Barnett, 56, was injured in the crash. He is a member of the Richfield City Council and an orthodontist there. Mitch Peterson, 50, had an optometry practice in Richfield and was the bishop of an LDS ward in Monroe.
According to The New Zealand Herald, the crash happened about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (10:30 p.m. Tuesday, MST) as the two couples were on their way to a Mormon temple outside the city of Hamilton. Their rental sports-utility vehicle turned in front of a truck as it drove south through an intersection, the newspaper reported.
On Wednesday in Utah, representatives of both families said the couples were vacationing and were to spend a few days in New Zealand before taking a 2 1/2 week cruise.
Ammon Cunningham, the Petersons' son-in-law, said a third Sevier County couple was following the vehicle that collided with the truck.
The Petersons had five children, the youngest of whom is 8. Cunningham said Ruth Peterson, 49, was active in community and church activities in Sevier County.
"Everyone knows them and has been touched by them in some way," Cunningham said.
Gary Hatch, Richard Barnett's brother-in-law, called Tammy Barnett, 55, a "wonderfully, loving, sweet caring person." The couple had four children and seven grandchildren.
Hatch said Richard Barnett suffered broken ribs, contusions and minor lacerations. He could be released from the hospital Thursday, Hatch said.
It could be a few weeks before the bodies are returned to Utah.
Supporters have established a website where people can donate toward the families' expenses. The Barnetts' fund is at http://www.gofundme.com/tammybarnett, and the Petersons' is at http://www.gofundme.com/okiowo
Twitter: @natecarlisle