Funeral held in Maryborough for crash victim Kelsie Davies
A funeral has been held for the youngest victim of a horror triple fatal, with hundreds of mourners and the broader community coming together to honour her life.
Fraser Coast
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The youngest victim of a triple fatality that rocked the entire Fraser Coast community was laid to rest on Friday, May 19, with hundreds of mourners attending her funeral at Reach Church in Maryborough.
Kelsie Davies, 17, was killed in a three-vehicle crash that also claimed the lives of Michale Chandler, 29, and nurse Sheree Robertson, 52.
Crash survivor Kaylah Behrens, 23, remains in hospital after waking from a coma days after the crash.
A 13-year-old boy, who was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen car, has been charged in relation to the crash.
Maryborough had been a city in mourning since the tragedy and on Friday it came together to pay tribute to the young woman, who had just graduated from Riverside Christian College, was working as in intern at the church, was employed by Parkside on Adelaide and dreamt of being a dancer.
Across the road from Reach Church where Ms Davies’ funeral service was held, Carramar Community Pre-School and Kindergarten had tied red balloons, signifying her favourite colour, and placed a sign, “fly high Kelsie”.
Wide Bay Transit was also paying tribute.
Ms Davies’ father, Owen, had been a bus driver and part of the organisation for 30 years.
On Friday, the fleet turned its headlights on in a moving tribute for the young crash victim.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Owen and his family at this time,” the post read.
Ms Davies was the youngest of eight children.
In the wake of her death, her mother, Susan Marcus, paid tribute to her “baby,” who was driving that night on the way home from the movies with Ms Chandler and Ms Behrens, getting her night hours up so she could get her licence.
“My beautiful girl was a true light of this world,” she said.
“She never smoked or drank alcohol.
“She was an intern at Reach Church and a youth leader.
“The other ladies in the car were from the church as well and they were her best friends.”
Ms Marcus said her family was devastated.
“Kelsie was my baby, the youngest of eight children and is desperately missed.
“God must have needed another angel.”
Reach Church Fraser Coast Pastor Darren Hayhoe shared a post on Facebook ahead of Ms Davies’ funeral.
“Huge day for us as a community, personally as a family and as a church, we say goodbye to our beautiful Kelsie today and it’s going to be a huge day, no way to get around that.
“It’s going to be a big huge day today and I need God in my life today.”
Mr Hayhoe and Reach Church started a GoFundMe page for the crash victims in the wake of the tragedy, which had by Friday raised more than $104,000.
A funeral was held for Ms Robertson on May 15, with family and friends sharing memories of the beloved Maryborough Hospital nurse, who was driving home to Hervey Bay when the crash happened.
Ms Robertson was affectionately known as the “bin chicken” on Ward 3, because she never hesitated to look through bins when items belonging to patients went missing.
“Sheree was always the first to do a thorough bin dive when a patient reported missing dentures, hearing aids or glasses regardless of whether they could remember having them that day or not. Hence she was given the bin chicken name,” one colleague said.
A funeral for Ms Chandler will he held at Reach Church on Tuesday, May 23.
The service will start at 9.30am.
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