A teenage girl who died after she fell from the back of a ute in the NSW Hunter region was full of "selflessness and unconditional love", her father says.
Shannen Riggien, 17, had spent Friday evening with friends at a teenage movie night and what exactly happened next remains unclear.
It is thought the Kurri Kurri teenager and a female friend decided to jump on the back of a ute driven by another friend in East Maitland.
Shannen fell off and suffered severe head injuries.
She died in John Hunter Hospital on Monday morning.
Her devastated father, James Riggien, described her as a "soft, gentle soul".
"You could not help but love her because her selflessness and unconditional love radiated from her big brown eyes," he told the Newcastle Herald.
Her friends also paid tribute to the Maitland All Saints College student, who they called the "sunshine of our lives".
"She had the most contagious smile and we have infinite love for her and she will be in our hearts forever," they said in a joint statement.
Police are investigating the accident, which involved a 17-year-old male driver.
No arrests have been made.
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