The death of a popular Massey photography student who was to  participate in New Zealand Fashion Week has shocked students at the small Wellington campus.

Felicity Paige Wren, 20, died on Friday after the car she was travelling in hit the back of a truck in Waikato.

Her friend, Millie McCutcheon, an aspiring designer, was believed to be driving the car. She was cut from the vehicle but discharged from Waikato Hospital the same day.

''They were really, really close. Felicity had hundreds of good friends,'' her aunt Julie Addis  said from Dunedin today.

The former Dunedin girl moved to Wellington three years ago and had been studying a bachelor of fine arts majoring in photography.

Addis said her niece had been loving life in Wellington.

''[She had] heaps of friends up there, loved the course, loved working at Country Road.

''She was just at the start of an amazing life.''

Wren had particular passions for ''quirky'' and fashion photography.

There was a minute's silence for Wren at the week's launch last night.

''It's just incredible,'' Addis said.

Her parents, Monica and Tim Wren, had been in Europe on ''their big OE'' when they heard of the death on Friday.

They had flown back to Hamilton and were expected to take Wren's body home to Dunedin tomorrow morning.

Her funeral was expected to be held in Dunedin on Monday.

Her sister, Jess, 26, and brother Alec, 23, had returned to New Zealand since her death.

Massey at Wellington Students' Association President  Ben Thorpe said news of the death had sent a ''ripple effect'' through the small campus in Wellington.

''It's hit pretty hard for a lot of them.''

But because the crash happened halfway through a two-week study break, news of it was still making its way to students.

The students' association and university would coordinate to mark her death.

Waikato District road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said Wren had been a front seat passenger in the Alfa Romeo car when it crashed on State Highway 27, north of Morrinsville on Friday afternoon.

He said the truck had slowed as it approached a school bus that was turning off the road.

"All vehicles involved in the crash were heading south when it happened."

The pair were travelling back south after visiting Auckland International Airport.

He said McCutcheon and the driver of the truck were upset and would be interviewed later this week.

- © Fairfax NZ News