Echuca father Kade Mongta killed in Heathcote highway crash

An family is mourning its second son who died along the same stretch of road in Heathcote, following a tragic accident that killed a young father.

Echuca father 23-year-old Kade Mongta was killed in a two-vehicle crash on the Northern Highway at 5.20am on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Picture: Facebook

An Echuca family is once again in mourning after their son was killed on the same stretch of highway that took his brother six years ago.

Kade Mongta, 23, was killed in a two-car crash on the Northern Highway near Heathcote at 5.20am on Thursday April 1.

Police said the father was driving a Holden Commodore sedan when it struck the back of a Ford utility and crashed into a tree.

The young man died at the scene.

His passenger, a 14-year-old girl, was seriously injured and transported to hospital with facial injuries while the driver of the Ford, a 56-year-old Heathcote man was uninjured.

Kade was the younger brother of Nick Mongta, a 22-year-old who was one of four men killed in a horror crash on the Northern Highway, near Pyalong in 2015.

A 20-minute drive down the Northern Highway separates the two spots where the brothers were killed.

Online tributes have poured in for Kade, remembering the young father as a fun-loving, energetic motorcycle enthusiast.

On Facebook his partner Jema Mudge said Kade and their baby girl were her “world”.

“Just want my family back together … (I) just want my two babies back in my arms,” Ms Mudge said.

Kade Mongta was killed in a Northern Highway crash. Picture: Facebook

Ms Mudge also shared a photo of Mr Mongta in his motorcycle gear cradling his newborn, who he nicknamed his “little gorilla”.

“You were so keen to be able to take (her) out riding and keen as for when she could start riding,” she said.

“I always knew she was gonna be a mini you and a daddy’s girl, and she sure is.

“She’ll always know who her daddy is and how much you loved your little gorilla baby.”

It is understood Kade’s funeral was held last week, with mourners paying tribute to the young father.

Kandy Edwards, who attended the 23-year-old’s funeral, wrote on Facebook that Kade was “like a real brother”.

“I tried not to cry, but today saying our goodbyes really set in,” Ms Edwards wrote.

“All the memories came rushing back in, so, so, so many amazing times and the funniest times we had with you.

“You were so full on and full of life sometimes I wish you’d calm down.

“It’s not fair you’re gone, it’s going to take a while to really believe you’re not actually still going to come flying in the door.

“You were still only a baby with so much ahead of you.”

Another friend, Dylan Riddle, wrote: “No matter what or where Kade was, his was the action to everything.”

“He never let nothing get him down (and) always come back stronger and better.

“For sure (there) was never a dull moment with him around.”