Residents tried to save 22-year-old woman who died after car crashed into Stobie pole in Glengowrie

WITNESSES have told how local residents put themselves in potential danger to try to save a young driver who died after her car crashed into a Stobie pole at Glengowie last night.

WITNESSES have told how local residents put themselves in potential danger to try to save a young driver who died after her car crashed into a Stobie pole at Glengowie last night.

Bystanders rushed to help the female driver amid fears the vehicle she was driving could explode and despite the crash bringing down powerlines, which remained live at the scene. The smash occurred at the intersection of Diagonal Rd and Meredith Ave about 10pm on Sunday. Police and ambulance crews arrived shortly after and paramedics treated the driver — a 22-year-old Blackwood woman — but she died at the scene. The felled powerlines remained live for about an hour after the crash, hampering efforts by police to investigate the incident. SA Power Networks disconnected and disabled the power line at about 11pm allowing Major Crash Investigators access to the crash site. Nurse and local resident Julie Springbett was one of the first on the scene, quickly taking action to help the young driver. Her daughter Rhiannon Corfield, 18, said her mother did not think twice before potentially putting herself in danger to assist the injured woman. “They thought the car had electricity going through it but when mum got to the car they were telling her not to touch it but she still opened the door,” she said. Even as smoke filled the vehicle and bystanders feared the car may explode, Ms Corfield said her mother refused to leave the injured woman’s side. “It was terrible — the poor girl was groaning,” she said. “They managed to get her out of the car. “I could see they...were resuscitating her so many times (but) she just died. “I cried for ages — the poor family.” Dave Whitford, 55, also rushed out of his house to investigate when he heard the crash. “I thought something had exploded,” he said. “The pole was bent in half. “The car was full of smoke from the motor. “I saw them doing CPR and I knew it didn’t look good.” Mr Whitford helped direct traffic around the crash site. Mr Whitford said he had a daughter about the same age as the driver and to hear the motorist had died was “very distressing”. “I couldn’t imagine (the family’s) grief,” he said. Another Diagonal Rd resident, who wished to remain anonymous, gave her condolences to the driver’s family. “I feel sorry for her parents,” she said. “It affects the whole family.” The woman’s death brings the state’s road toll to 21 this year, compared to 19 at the same time last year.