A mother has described her intense pain after the tragic death of her 'beautiful' 10-year-old daughter along with her stepmother in a car crash. Sarah Gorman has spoken of her pain after the loss of her 'wild child' daughter Arliyah James, 10, who lost her life along with 36-year-old Lisa.
The pair were found dead after their car crashed into a dam on Queensland's Fraser Coast in Australia. The car crashed into a dam on Springvale Road in Tinana South on Thursday afternoon, October 8.
Mother's heartbreak
Arliyah's mother said: “The one who kept me on my toes and made all our hearts burst with love. Love you all the way below the fishes and all the way up, up above with the clouds where you now are our lil angel.”
“My heart will forever be missing it's beat my baby. I love you so much, I'm so sorry my baby.”
Crash details
Police and fire crews along with first responders were called to Tinana South in rural Queensland just before 5.30pm after being told a blue Subaru Tribeca had crashed into a dam. The pair were reportedly travelling to Maryborough to collect other children from school when their vehicle left the road, crashed through a fence and plunged into a dam.
Lisa and her 10-year-old stepdaughter were found inside the vehicle and were pronounced dead at the scene. Arliyah's father Steve James reportedly began searching for the pair after the school contacted him to say the children had not been collected. He found the vehicle flipped upside down in the dam, with a nearby farmer rushing into the water to help rescue his daughter and partner.
Community response
Maryborough Patrol Group Inspector Paul Algie described the deaths as a “horrible tragedy” that had shaken the local community. He told 7News: “That property owner is a hero.”
“What he did was incredibly brave and incredibly traumatic, given that the lady's partner was right with him at the time.”
Arliyah's relative Summah Brakenridge remembered the young girl as full of life and energy. “She was full of life, she was the most beautiful big smile, full of energy,” she said. “Just an absolutely down-to-earth, beautiful little girl. That will never be forgotten.”
Flowers have since been left near the dam in tribute to the pair.
Investigation launched
An investigation has now been launched by the Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit, with the circumstances leading up to the crash still unknown. Police say they are investigating whether speed or driver inattention may have contributed to the crash.
Any witnesses or people with dashcam or CCTV footage have been urged to contact police.
