In a heart-wrenching tragedy that has shaken Tasmania, five young lives have been shattered in a brutal car crash that claimed the lives of four innocent horses.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the group of teenagers and young adults were returning from a harness meeting in Hobart when their white Ford Ranger veered off the Batman Highway and collided with a tree stump.
The impact was so severe that emergency services were immediately alerted to the scene, thanks to an iPhone that pings emergency services if it believes its owner has been involved in a crash.
As the community rallies around the young victims, who range in age from 14 to 21, the families are struggling to cope with the medical costs associated with their recoveries.
The injuries sustained in the crash are severe and life-altering, with 18-year-old Brontë Miller losing vision in one eye and dislocating one hip and breaking the other.
Cody Crossland, 19, has suffered multiple broken ribs, a laceration to his face requiring surgery, a broken shoulder blade and internal injuries.
Lily Blundstone, 21, is dealing with “lots of bruising, aches, and pains.”
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Maree Wakefield has sustained a significant laceration to her face and Blake Miller, Bronte’s 14-year-old brother, was shaken but thankfully not seriously injured.
In the wake of this tragedy, a GoFundMe appeal has been created to help the families with the medical expenses they will face.
The Yoles Harness Racing Stables, where the victims worked, have expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support they have received from the community and praised the “phenomenal” staff at the Launceston General Hospital for their care of the young victims.
Fatigue a Factor in Tassie Crash That Injured Five and Killed Four Horses
Police say fatigue appeared to be a factor in a crash that left two people seriously injured and four horses dead in Tasmania’s north early this morning.
The crash, which took place at about 1.45am on Monday morning, occurred after a white Ford Ranger towing a horse float veered off the road and hit a tree stump.
Inspector Ruth Orr said the occupants of the car were in Hobart attending a race, and were travelling back home to Rowella when the incident occurred.
“The crash is being investigated but it appears the driver, a 20-year-old woman, was fatigued” Inspector Orr said.
Two horses died on the scene, while two others were euthanized shortly after.
All five occupants of the car, aged between 14 to 20, were injured.
They were transported to hospitals across the state – with one 18-year-old passenger airlifted to Melbourne for further treatment.
