And a fundraising bid for the Otago graduate’s grieving family has already received nearly $100,000, including donations from some of New Zealand’s biggest sporting names.
Mitch East, 28, was hit by a car as he stepped out of an Uber early on Sunday morning. He died at the scene in east Sydney’s Tamarama about 4am.
Speaking to Stuff, East’s mother said he was her only child and her "reason for living".
"I died when he did. The pain is unbearable."
She described her son as "a good person with a good heart".
Passers-by found East unconscious on Fletcher St.
One of New Zealand’s Supreme Court judges voiced his grief about the killing of East yesterday afternoon.
Justice Sir William Young told the Herald East was "seriously intelligent".
East completed a postgraduate degree at Harvard University in the United States. He completed his honours degree at the University of Otago.
As well as accepting the Frank Knox scholarship for Harvard, East was offered full scholarships for Cambridge University in Britain and New York University.
Justice Young detailed East’s achievements at university; winning the Deans’ Scholar Prizes in two of his subjects as well as obtaining his Master of Laws.
"As this indicates, Mitch was seriously intelligent. He was also hard-working, insightful, and empathetic," Justice Young said.
"He was a remarkable man with the most extraordinary, infectious, and often self-deprecating sense of humour. He was huge fun to work with – an all-round great guy.
"Mitch’s death in Sydney is a shocking tragedy, particularly for his parents and his partner and a terrible waste of a life that held so much promise."
A GoFundMe page in memory of East had raised A$88,911 ($95,937) by 4pm on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after it was set up.
The fundraising page said East would "always be remembered for his hilarious, yet kind nature and his incredible ability to befriend everyone he met".
"Mitch’s time was far from up and he had so much life left and love to give."
Multiple New Zealand sporting personalities have donated to the cause, including All Black Anton Lienert-Brown and Black Cap Tim Seifert, as well as Super Rugby players Shaun Stevenson and Bryn Gatland.
"While his family, friends and girlfriend attempt to come to terms with the grief of losing someone so loved, we are trying to relieve some of the financial pressure and stress that comes with such a loss," the page read.
"We understand entirely that right now, people are doing it tough themselves so appreciate any donation, albeit big or small."
One of East’s law professors remembered his former student as someone "full of much promise and potential".
University of Otago professor Andrew Geddis called his former student "an extraordinarily accomplished young lawyer", outlining the scholarships he was offered, the high-flying positions he worked and how he still remained humble.
"We have an idea of what we’d like the ‘New Zealand character’ to be; someone who achieves highly, is incredibly able, but at the same time doesn’t think too much of themselves. And that was Mitch. He really did capture that," Geddis told the Herald.
East was working for major law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler in Australia, the Daily Telegraph said.
Before he moved to Australia, he worked as a solicitor for Meredith Connell, as a senior adviser for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terror attack, and as a clerk to Justice Young.
"Only three or four people a year go into that role [at the Supreme Court]," Geddis said.
Australian cops search for vehicle involved
Australian police are looking for a white SUV, captured on CCTV camera in the area where East was killed.
Detective Assistant Superintendent Adam Solah told the Daily Telegraph: "The family are obviously very upset and distraught, and our hearts go out to them, having to find out such difficult news."
Police had "extensive" footage of the incident, but could not confirm whether it was a hit-and-run, the Daily Telegraph said.
The hit-and-run was a theory that was "forming part of [police’s] lines of inquiry".
Police were "looking at all avenues", he said.
