KUCHING, MALAYSIA - "Mummy, I'll be arriving back from New Zealand at 2pm. I miss you guys," read the happy text message from 21-year-old Mariam Sakinah Ahmad. Tragically, it was the last message her family received from her. The UiTM student was killed in a traffic accident in South Waikato at the end of a 10-day study trip.

Her family was looking forward to celebrating Hari Raya Aidiladha with her and hearing all about her New Zealand adventures. At midnight on Wednesday, they received the terrible news of her death.

Mariam and 51-year-old Shafiee Ahmad, the Universiti Teknologi Mara deputy dean of student affairs in the communications and media studies faculty, were killed on Wednesday when their van collided with a lorry. Four other passengers were injured in the crash.

Quoting sources in the investigation, the New Zealand Herald said Shafiee, who was driving, skipped a stop sign near a junction and drove into the path of the oncoming lorry.

Mariam and Shafiee's bodies were taken to Waikato Hospital, where two of the other passengers were warded in serious condition. The other two received outpatient treatment.

Mariam was the second child and her family said she was a "very independent, hardworking girl", who was serious about her studies. But above all, they said, she was a bubbly, jovial young woman, always ready to smile.

"She made the dean's list last semester, and she worked hard for her New Zealand study trip. She told me they spent the whole of last semester raising funds for the trip. And they raised about RM10,000," said her father, Ahmad Mustapha, at their home in Taman Gita Jaya.

Mariam, a second-year broadcasting student, wanted to be a film director.

"She liked photography and film-making. And she would tell us all about her stories and experiences... she was so full of life... we didn't expect to lose her like this.

"I teased her before she left for New Zealand on Nov 25. She called to ask for some pocket money, but she didn't come right out and ask for it. So I asked her, 'Is this a courtesy call or a welfare call?'," said a tearful Ahmad.

Mariam's mother, Khadijah Mariyam Sheih Affendi, hugged Mariam's picture to her chest, too distraught to speak to reporters.

Mariam's body is expected to arrive home tomorrow.