Rebecca Smith killed in car crash near Julia Creek
The death of an outback mail worker killed while driving home to her child’s graduation has left two daughters grappling with the loss of their friendly, kind and vibrant mother.
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An outback mail worker who was killed in a car crash while travelling home to her daughter’s graduation ceremony is being remembered as a friendly, kind and vibrant mother who was always the life of the party.
The fatal accident happened around 5.50pm on Tuesday, November 19.
Rebecca Smith, 40, was driving a company Toyota HiLux delivering mail to outback cattle stations when her vehicle crashed and flipped on Wills Developmental Road at Taldora.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, but the Julia Creek local was declared deceased upon arrival.
Waiting for her mum to arrive at Julia Creek for her Year 6 graduation was 12-year-old Lacy Smith.
An older daughter Kaylah Smith, 18, lives with her partner on the Atherton Tablelands at Herberton.
Father of Ms Smith’s older child Steven Dotchin said it had been a horrendous ordeal for the two children left behind.
“She worked for the mail run and dropped the mail off at cattle stations and was trying to make it back to the graduation and had a tragic car accident,” he said.
“It’s a heavy, heavy thing to swallow.
“It was a horrible night, and being out in Julia Creek they are in the middle of nowhere.”
The former partner of Ms Smith said they met as 16-year-olds and had a little girl together before deciding to go their separate ways.
“Everyone knows her, she has been in Julia Creek for some time,” he said.
“She was very much loved and she was one of the people that was the life of the party.
“She was a very happy and vibrant woman.”
Mr Dotchin has now started a crowd-funding campaign to help the two daughters rebuild their lives without their mum.
“Her two daughters are not only grappling with the emotional impact of losing their mother but also facing the challenges associated with financial stability and housing arrangements,” he said.
The Brisbane-based father of Kaylah said funds raised through the campaign will be directed toward securing the girls’ futures, as well as helping with their relocation, along with that of their horses and dogs.
Mr Dotchin said Kaylah, as her mother’s next of kin, had made the decision, in consultation with her partner, to raise her younger sister but in the interim both girls would spend time in Brisbane before making any decision about where to settle.
“She is going to come with me to be looked after and heal,” he said.
“The girls will require extensive support during this challenging period.”
Ms Smith will be cremated in Townsville and funeral service will be held in Julia Creek next Tuesday, December 3.
To date the GoFundMe campaign has raised $18,340 of a $50,000 target.
You can contribute to the fundraiser here.
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Originally published as Rebecca Smith killed in car crash near Julia Creek
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