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Taylor Swift crash horror: Fears for sister after teenage fan killed

The devastated family of the teenage Taylor Swift fan who died in a crash while travelling to see the star in Melbourne have provided an update on the condition of her sister.

Karleigh Fox with godchildren, Freya and Mieka Pokarier
Karleigh Fox with godchildren, Freya and Mieka Pokarier

The devastated family of the teenage Taylor Swift fan who died in a crash while travelling to see the star in Melbourne have provided an update on her young sister’s condition.

The Gold Coast family’s dream road trip to see Taylor Swift turned to tragedy after a horror truck crash.

Mieka Pokarier, 16, died on Thursday while travelling to Melbourne with her mother and little sister, Freya, when they were involved in a crash with a semi-trailer near Dubbo in New South Wales.

Freya, 10, was rushed to hospital where she remains in a coma with brain injuries, a damaged pelvis and a broken leg.

Mieka Pokarier, 16, was killed in the crash. Picture: Supplied
Mieka Pokarier, 16, was killed in the crash. Picture: Supplied

On Monday the girl’s godmother, Karleigh Fox, said Freya remained in a critical but stable condition in hospital her injuries were not considered “life threatening”.

“I automatically think of all her friends at school, all her loved ones already grieving for the loss of Mieka,” she said.

“Freya, yes she is in ICU, yes she is considered critical but she is stable. There is no confirmed brain damage. Yes she had brain surgery … they did put a drain in and that drain also monitors swelling and there is no confirmed swelling on the brain.

Mieka (right) and Freya (left) were inseparable. Picture: Supplied
Mieka (right) and Freya (left) were inseparable. Picture: Supplied

“While she is in this medically induced coma, she is working on healing, she is getting this amazing love and attention and care and medicine and pain relief – (Freya) is in the best place possible.”

A Sydney Children’s Hospital spokeswoman on Monday afternoon also confimed Freya’s condition was critical but stable.

Ms Fox encouraged the community to pray and visualise Freya “coming out of this unscathed and getting back to school and playing with her friends”.

She also revealed that Freya had been given eight separate blood transfusions following the crash.

Heartbreaking details of 16yo Swift fan’s fatal crash on way to concert

Earlier, Ms Fox said Mieka’s mother had become well enough to be reunited with her “baby” but was still very sore, bruised up and slow.

“It was very emotional, it takes five people just to roll her to check for marks which could turn to bed sores,” she wrote.

“We are playing her favourite Taylor Swift album 1989: Taylor’s Version on repeat in her room and telling her about the merch we are seeing people buying online.”

Ms Fox said she had known Mieka and her family for 14 years and saw her “smart and creative” goddaughter discover Taylor Swift’s music and become a fan.

“She’s (Mieka) been a Taylor Swift Fan for over 10 years, and she loved maths, she loved pottery, she was always making people things with pottery and going to classes,” she said.

“She had a best friend, the bestest of best friends and yeah, that’s gonna be really hard, I just can’t even imagine what it would have been like to lose a best friend at that age.”

Dubbo highway patrol officers who attended the crash at Ballimore returned to the scene the following morning to lay flowers. Picture: NSW Police
Dubbo highway patrol officers who attended the crash at Ballimore returned to the scene the following morning to lay flowers. Picture: NSW Police

Ms Fox set up a GoFundMe campaign for Mieka, which has already received more than $50,000 in donations.

Dubbo highway patrol officers who attended the crash at Ballimore returned to the scene the following morning to lay flowers in memory of 16-year-old Meika.

“These flowers were laid on behalf of all attending emergency services as well as members of the public who valiantly assisted at a very confronting scene,” NSW police wrote on Facebook.

NSW police said detectives from the New England police district was investigating the crash.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/emergency-services/taylor-swift-crash-horror-fears-for-sister-after-teenage-fan-killed/news-story/dc9584425778d536f53a024b6628668d