Young brothers who died following a tragic crash in the New South Wales Riverina earlier this month have been remembered as “two lives taken too soon”.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story contains images of people who have died.

Jeremiah, 10, and Nathaniel Schmetzer, 11, were killed when the vehicle they were passengers in hit a pole and rolled down an embankment in Yanco, south of Leeton, on April 4.

The car landed on its roof in a water channel and all four occupants, which included the boys’ mother Tanya Murphy, 36, and their cousin Malakai Murphy, 12, died at the scene.

Police have arrested and charged Dean Cluney, 36, for domestic-violence-related offences, which allegedly occurred about 15 minutes before the single-vehicle crash.

No charges have been laid directly in relation to the crash.

Brothers remembered

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the St Peter’s Anglican Church in Leeton today as Jeremiah and Nathaniel were laid to rest.

Mourners wore heart-shaped badges of the boys and the packed service saw people spilling outside.

The family sat at the front and comforted each other during the service.

A family member read the eulogy and told the gathering that the boys always saw the best in things.

“They lived for the weekend where most of their time was spent being at the river, enjoying fishing, skiing and camping as a family,” they said.

The family member spoke about their father’s pride in the boys.

The boys’ father, Jerry Schmetzer, was quoted during the eulogy as saying Nathaniel had a kind and caring nature: “I always knew I had a little man by my side”.

When speaking of Jeremiah, Mr Schmetzer was quoted recalling his son being full of life.

“He’d always be going 100 miles per hour and always had a smile on his face,” he said.

Two Aboriginal flags hung behind the coffins and were held aloft by relatives at the end of the service.

Outside the church, the family was visibly devastated and hundreds of community members looked on as the boys’ coffins were placed in hearses.

In a nod to the boys’ love of motorcycles, their father led a procession on his motorbike that followed the hearses to Leeton cemetery.

Community in mourning

Leeton mayor Tony Reneker said the community was still very emotional about the tragedy.

He said the funeral was a chance for many to reflect on the crash and the lives of the victims.

“The initial shock has gone away and it’s been replaced by a general feeling of loss and sadness,” Cr Reneker said.

“[The funeral] just gives a time for people to take a moment and reflect on the tragedy itself.”

Cr Reneker said Leeton Shire Council was waiting to learn more details before it considered any upgrades to the intersection of Research and Toorak roads, where the crash occurred.

He described domestic violence as a “scourge to our communities” and said the council was supportive of any NSW Police initiatives designed to reduce abuse.

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral costs.