Simran Shiuagani Mala, 25, and Jamie William Pitman, 35, both of Frankton, were killed in a two-vehicle collision in Malaghans Rd, between Dalefield Rd and the Waikaka Church, about 10pm last Thursday.
The couple’s unborn daughter, due in October, was also killed.
A police media spokeswoman said the exact circumstances of the crash were still under investigation.
Queenstown man Kevin Johnston, who identified the couple’s bodies after the crash, said Mr Pitman was trying to turn his life around.
Mr Johnston said Mr Pitman, who was originally from Kaitaia, had moved to Queenstown for a fresh start.
"He had a bit of a hard life, he did, growing up, born into the gang life and stuff like that.
"He came down [to Queenstown], lived by me, was changing his ways and getting away from all the drugs and stuff."
Mr Johnston, a chef, said Mr Pitman initially moved to Queenstown about a year ago and worked with him in the kitchen at Pier.
He went back up north and then returned last November, planning to stay permanently.
He described the couple’s relationship as "rocky and happy".
"[It was] two completely different cultures coming together, him being Maori and her Indian-Fijian.
"The people that saw them [last] Thursday said they were really happy and enjoying things."
While the baby was a surprise for the couple, they were both excited about her arrival, Mr Johnston said.
She would have been Mr Pitman’s 10th child, though a child with his last partner had died at just 3 months old.
"He was struggling with a few things himself, [but] all his family that he spoke to since he’d been down here said he looked so much happier and was doing so well," Mr Johnston said.
The Otago Daily Times has learned Mr Pitman had recently admitted assaulting Ms Mala.
He pleaded guilty to charges of assault in a family relationship and resisting police, dated March 21, and was due to be sentenced later this month.
A summary of facts released by the judge outlines a violent incident in central Queenstown.
Mr Johnston said he last caught up with Mr Pitman, whom he had known for well over a decade, a couple of weeks ago.
After identifying their bodies, he established a memorial at the crash site, which includes a teddy bear attached to butterfly wings and a pair of pink baby boots.
He said Mr Pitman’s body would be returned to Whakapara, in Northland, for his tangi.
