Three deaths in three weeks

At approximately 2pm on Monday a pink Daihatsu Sirion driven by a 75-year-old woman left Coomba Road and collided with a tree.

Ten-year-old passenger Tabitha Garay died at the scene. The 75-year-old driver, Ms Jane Garay from Cammeray in Sydney, was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital but later died. 12-year-old Madelyn Garay, from Baulkham Hills in Sydney, was airlifted along with her grandmother and remains in a critical condition at the hospital.

“At about 2pm yesterday afternoon (Monday) a 75-year-old woman was driving along Coomba Road towards Coomba Park with a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old female in the back seat,” Inspector Tony Power said.

“In the vicinity of Burraneer Road she appears to have crossed to the incorrect side of the road and veered off the road and impacted with a tree. As a result the driver and one of the passengers were trapped. The two people trapped were extricated and taken to John Hunter Hospital where the 75-year-old driver was pronounced deceased.

“The 10-year-old, unfortunately, was deceased at the scene. The 12-year-old female is presently in John Hunter Hospital where she has undergone surgery for internal injuries. She is currently in ICU in a critical condition.”

The accident occurred on Coomba Road near the intersection with Burraneer Road. Burraneer Road was the scene of another fatality on June 23 when 89-year-old Willem Veenstra died when the Skoda in which he was travelling collided with a Nissan Navara.

Two other female occupants of the Skoda were injured as was the driver of the Navara, a 60-year-old Coomba Park man, who suffered a fractured sternum.

Inspector Power said that at this stage police were not linking the fatalities to the state of the road and that police will await the outcome of the full investigation.

“As to the cause of the crash it’s a bit early to speculate,but it does appear that there was only one vehicle involved,” Inspector Power said.

“The road is used by many locals and whilst it may not be ideal it’s a council road and certainly is suitable for driving conditions. At this stage the investigation of the accident is ongoing by local police and they are being assisted by the Mid-North Coast Crash Investigation Unit.”

Coomba Park resident Joanne Green, who lives adjacent to the June 23 crash site, says that she has been lobbying council for more than ten years to fix the roads at Coomba Park.

“I asked the question 12 years ago: ‘is it going to take a death to resolve this issue?’ Sadly, sadly my prediction has come to fruition. We’ve had three fatalities in three weeks.” Police from Manning Great Lakes LAC and the Mid-North Coast Crash Investigation Unit are continuing their investigations into the cause of the crash and will prepare a report for the Coroner. The Daihatsu has been seized for mechanical examination while the crash site was examined by local police and specialist forensic officers. Investigators are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash or saw the Daihatsu in the moments leading up to the crash to call Forster Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.