When taxi driver Gurmeet Sran picked up passenger Lynette Kilmartin in the early hours of the morning, just over a year ago, it was the start of an amazing – and ultimately tragic – friendship.
Just moments after the body sculptor hopped out of Gurmeet’s cab in Auckland’s Ponsonby Rd, he was horrified to see a car hit Lynette and throw her several metres down the road.
As the car sped away without stopping, it was up to Gurmeet (35) to call an ambulance and help Lynette, who was unconscious and badly injured, with one leg almost severed.
After the accident in November 2009, Lynette showed courage and strength as she struggled with both the emotional and physical toll of her injuries.
Gurmeet, his wife Akwinter (31) and their two children supported her along the way, becoming a second family to the brave 37-year-old. Lynette was even made godmother to the couple’s children, oushaan (5) and Gurshaan (7 months)
Just before Christmas, Gurmeet and his wife Akwinter (31) were devastated to hear that Lynette had reached the point where she could no longer cope and was found dead in her Auckland home. Her death has been referred to the coroner.
“She was a very strong lady. We were shocked and upset about her death. We were such good friends,” says Gurmeet, still stunned by Lynette’s death.
“When we met, she was a just a normal passenger, then this tragedy happened, which gave us a special connection.”
Lynette had just moved to Auckland from Wellington for a new job as area manager for a cosmetics company. She was out celebrating with friends when the incident happened.
As well as her horrific leg wounds, her back and shoulder were also broken, injuries which left her with limited movement – a far cry from her active, gym-oriented life before the car struck her.
The driver of the vehicle, representative hockey player Prasant Nathoo (24), was fleeing after beating up a prostitute with his hockey stick, and left Lynette on the road to die. He was jailed for three years and three months in September, after pleading guilty to six charges relating to the incident.
“What the driver did had a huge impact on all of us,” says Gurmeet. “He ruined her life and now she is gone.”
Gurmeet says he last saw Lynette in September when he visited her at home. After being told she could never walk again, and multiple operations to reconstruct her leg, he was excited to see that she was taking her first steps.
“She was keeping positive. She talked about getting back competing again in body-sculpting competitions. It looked like life was getting better for her.”
Gurmeet says that Lynette loved the Indian culture and attended traditional celebrations with him and his wife.”She was always saying that she wanted to marry an Indian man,” says Akwinter.
Lynette doted on the couple’s children, always offering to babysit, and had photos of them on her computer’s screensaver.
Lynette’s death has been so traumatic that Gurmeet has not told oushann about what happened to her “Auntie Lynette”.
“Lynette was a vibrant person and loved our kids. We know it would upset her – we’re waiting for the right time to tell her.”
Although Gurmeet drives a taxi, he also has aspirations to be a Bollywood movie director, and has studied film in Auckland. Lynette was his biggest fan, and encouraged him to follow his dream.
“I always talked to her about what movies I’d like to make, and she’d give me advice.”
Gurmeet has nabbed a job on a big budget Bollywood film being shot in New Zealand this month, and he says Lynette would have been over the moon about his success.
“I think she’s blessing me and looking down on me. I know she’d be very happy.”
Gurmeet and his wife were only told that Lynette had died after her funeral in Blenheim, and are disappointed they didn’t get to say goodbye to their treasured friend.
Gurmeet says he prefers to remember Lynette’s strength and says the friendship could one day inspire a movie.
“She gave us so much respect,” he says. “I will always have very fond memories of her and now there are sad memories too.”
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