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RICHFIELD — Funeral plans were announced for two Richfield women and a man who were killed in a New Zealand car accident.
The accident occurred March 11 just a few miles outside Hamilton, a city of about 145,000. Richfield residents Tammy and Richard Barnett and Mitchell and Ruth Peterson were in New Zealand on vacation and planning to visit the nearby LDS Temple at the time of the accident, officials said.
Richard Barnett was driving an SUV with his wife and the Petersons as passengers when he turned into the path of an oncoming semitruck, according to the Associated Press. Tammy Barnett and the Petersons were killed in the collision and Richard Barnett received non-life threatening injuries.
Mitchell Peterson ran the Mountain View Vision Center in Richfield and Richard Barnett is an orthodontist there. The Petersons were “visible members of the community in Richfield” and were survived by five children, Richfield Mayor David Ogden said.
“Our loving parents dedicated their lives to building a good life for their family, which they extended to include all those in the community they loved,” a family statement in the Petersons’ obituary said. “Our parent's (sic) life was full of love. They loved us deeply and taught us the value of family and tradition.”
Tammy Barnett was survived by her husband and four children.
“Known for her boisterous and infectious laugh, her larger-than-life style, and her fierce love of her family and fountain Coke with ice, Tammy has left a legacy of love, generosity, and humor that will be treasured by all whose lives she touched,” a statement in her obituary said.
Funeral services for the Petersons will be held Friday at 12 p.m. at the Central Valley Ward LDS Chapel at 65 N. Main Street, according to Magleby Mortuary. A funeral will be held for Tammy Barnett Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Richfield East LDS Stake Center at 800 N. 500 East.
Richard Barnett was charged in connection with the accident on March 17, the Associated Press said. New Zealand authorities reached an agreement to allow him to pay a $4,500 fine and then return to the United States without serving jail time.
