A Queensland family has been left completely devastated following a horrific truck collision that claimed the lives of a young mother and her toddler, while leaving the child's father in a critical fight for survival.
Tragedy on the Bruce Highway
Emergency services were called to the Bruce Highway at Canoona, north of Rockhampton, on Thursday night after receiving reports of a collision involving two trucks just before 11pm.
Kiarra, aged 21, and her two-year-old daughter, Aleyna, were passengers in one of the trucks and sustained life-threatening injuries during the impact. Despite the immediate and best efforts of paramedics and other emergency personnel at the scene, both the young mother and her child were declared deceased.
A Father's Critical Fight for Life
Kiarra's partner and Aleyna's father, Brodie, 24, was ejected from his truck upon impact. He suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, including severe burns. In a critical condition, he was airlifted to a specialist hospital in Brisbane for urgent treatment.
The driver of the other truck involved, a 24-year-old man from New South Wales, was fortunate to escape with only minor injuries.
Brodie's mother, Larissa, shared that her family was "shattered" by the devastating news. "I take solace in knowing that they were all together at the time, as they chose to be," she said, extending her family's heartfelt condolences to Kiarra's relatives.
A Family's Plea for Support
Larissa revealed that Brodie's prognosis remains uncertain, though the family remains hopeful. "He has already had multiple surgeries, with many more still to come," she stated. In an almost unimaginable situation, Brodie is currently unaware that his partner and daughter have died. "At some point, I still have to break this devastating news to him," Larissa added.
The tragedy has also brought significant practical and financial strain. Larissa is facing a 10-hour drive to Brisbane to be with her son, alongside mounting costs for funeral arrangements and medical expenses. With Brodie expected to require years of rehabilitation, the family has been forced to ask for help.
"We are having to reach out and ask for help, something of which we would never do easily, nor without a heavy heart," Larissa explained. A GoFundMe page has been established to help ease the financial burden as the family navigates their immense grief. Police confirm that investigations into the precise cause of the crash are ongoing.
