Coober Pedy hairdresser Tanya Babok mourned after horror crash with road train at Pimba

The outback town of Coober Pedy is in shock after a “golden-hearted” hairdresser was killed in a horrific smash.

Hairdresser Tanya Babok tragically died in a crash involving a road train at the intersection of the Stuart Highway and Olympic Dam Highway in Pimba on July 3. Picture: Facebook/Tanya Babok

The outback town of Coober Pedy is in shock after a “golden-hearted” hairdresser – who beat cancer and never went anywhere without her scissors – was killed in a horror highway crash.

Belarus-born Tanya Babok, 54, was behind the wheel of a Toyota sedan that collided with a road train at the intersection of the Stuart Highway and Olympic Dam Highway in Pimba just before 12.30pm on Thursday.

She died at the scene and her 74-year-old male passenger was rushed to hospital for treatment.

The truck driver was not physically injured and underwent mandatory drug and alcohol testing.

Hairdresser Tanya Babok died in a crash involving a road train at the intersection of the Stuart Highway and Olympic Dam Highway in Pimba on July 3. Picture: Supplied

Hairdresser Tanya Babok has been remembered for being “kind, friendly, incredibly hardworking and determined”. Picture: Supplied

Ms Babok’s death has rocked Coober Pedy, where she had been the town’s visiting hairdresser for years, known for her warm smile, kind heart, and loyal clientele.

Close friend Snezhanna Kazantseva, who worked alongside Ms Babok for nearly a decade, told The Advertiser she was shattered by the loss.

“Tanya was a bright and beautiful soul,” she said.

“Kind, friendly, incredibly hardworking and determined. I was always grateful to fate for bringing her into my life – for her easygoing nature, and the way she was at work: attentive, patient, and always kind.

“She was a true professional. Tanya loved her work with all her heart — she even took her scissors with her on holidays.”

Ms Kazantseva said her friend had overcome enormous challenges in recent years, including cancer.

“She beat cancer,” she said.

“But she couldn’t beat the truck. That cruel irony breaks my heart.”

“And above all, she was a true friend. Loyal, genuine, and understanding. It was easy to be around her. She knew how to listen, how to support, how to simply be there — in joy and in hardship. There was real warmth in her presence.”

Coober Pedy makeup artist Fiona Scutter from Outback Sparkle also shared her grief in an online tribute post, saying: “RIP beautiful lady. Hard to believe you are gone when in a few days’ time we were catching up for coffee. You will be sadly missed by our community.”

Ms Babok’s death marks the 40th life lost on South Australian roads so far in 2024.

The section of highway was closed for nearly 17 hours following the crash and reopened just before 6am on Friday.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.