Too young to die
SAMANTHA Yates, 21, and Laura Milner, 18, died and Jodie Santowski, 18, remains in hospital following a horrific three-vehicle crash on Wednesday.
Gympie
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INVESTIGATORS, family and friends are all still trying to piece together why friends Samantha Yates, 21, and Laura Milner, 18, died and Jodie Santowski, 18, remains in hospital following a horrific three-vehicle crash on Wednesday.
The three girls were travelling to Tin Can Bay to visit Samantha's mother when, tragically, their vehicle collided with a loaded B-double timber truck along Tin Can Bay Road about 1pm.
Jodie remains in the Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition.
Cooloola Cove man Benjamin Pullin said he wanted Samantha's family to know he was with her in the final moments.
One of the first on the scene, Mr Pullin, ex-army and a Rwanda veteran, reverted back to his training and did what he could to help.
Mr Pullin talked to Samantha, who was in the back seat, and reassured her, while she fought to stay alive.
Laura's cousin and Gympie Ambulance Officer in Charge, Wayne Sachs, said he was sick of the carnage on Gympie region roads.
He remembers Laura as a beautiful, outgoing, friendly girl who would do anything for anyone and was always doing favours.
“She was always a happy girl,” he said. “A lovely, outgoing friendly kid, always helping people.”
Officer Sachs said more focus needed to be spent on country roads where “there's just as many fatalities on country roads than highways”.
He said they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Kara-Lea Mayfield headed to the site of the crash yesterday, leaving flowers in memory of her cousin Laura and friend Samantha.
She said Laura, who was driving, and Samantha, who was survived by her three-year-old son, were just nice people.
“I'm really sad about what happened,” she said.
Ms Mayfield said the loss was hitting her hard and wanted people to make the most of everyday with those they loved.
When visiting the site she didn't know how to feel.
“I didn't know what to do. I never thought my cousin...”
After seeing the photo of the crumpled car, she couldn't believe anyone could have survived the crash.
Sunshine Coast Forensic Crash Investigators were again on site yesterday completing reports, but it is still unknown what caused the smash.
Yesterday, a lone Goomboorian transport employee worked to recover the spilled load of timber a few metres from where a memorial of flowers was placed for the two girls.
Two men also involved in the crash were discharged from Gympie Hospital on Wednesday.
Investigations continue.
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Originally published as Too young to die
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