Tributes flow for women killed in New England Highway crash

Devastated loved ones have come together to mourn the loss of the four young women killed in a shocking collision, with one victim only weeks away from being reunited with her family.

Heartbroken communities across the Granite Belt have been left grappling with shock and grief following the deaths of four young women in a horror highway crash last week, with the first of the victims now identified.

Nang Kyung Kim and three of her friends were killed instantly when their SUV pulled out in front of a semi-trailer on the New England Highway at The Summit on Wednesday evening.

The four Korean women were aged 23, 24, 28, and 23, with at least two of the victims reportedly having been in the country for just weeks before the horrific crash.

The 41-year-old truck driver was transported to Stanthorpe Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and shock.

Tributes have flowed from across the region in the days since the devastating incident as residents struggle to cope with the immense grief and loss.

Four people have died in a crash on the New England Highway near Stanthorpe. Picture: 9 News

A close friend of Nang Kyung, or “Kyu” as she was known in Australia, said she had come to view the beloved young woman as family during their time working together on the Granite Belt.

“She always had a smile and feels like a little sister,” she said.

Country Farm Fresh Mushrooms co-owner Alida Newman said Kyu had become a treasured member of their tight-knit team and the wider community, and the sudden deaths of the four young women had been devastating for those left behind.

“She was a beautiful girl, she was loved by everyone here. She had a beautiful smile and was friends with everybody, always made eye contact and would say hello,” she said.

“She was (in Australia) for three years because of Covid and she’d been mushroom picking for six months, but was going to go apple packing and try it before going back to her home in Korea (in June).

“It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been working for you, it does touch you in different ways, and everyone here was quite shocked.

“I thought of the mothers of these girls. I’ve got three daughters of my own, and we’re not here to bury our kids.”

Stanthorpe resident and fellow Country Farm Fresh Mushrooms team member Lisa Fussell described Kyu as “a beautiful soul”, and said she would continue sharing a GoFundMe now set up in a show of support for the victims’ families.

Queensland Operation Manager Stephen Johns and Queensland Police Service Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon talk about a horrific crash that killed four Korean woman at The Summit, north of Stanthorpe.

Donations have flooded in since the fundraiser was opened this week, with more than $6000 already raised for the four women’s families.

“We are wishing to assist their devastated family members, who had to travel to Australia with such short notice during not the most favourable time to travel, to see their daughters and sisters for the last time and take them home to Korea,” the fundraiser description read.

Dozens of residents across the Granite Belt and wider Southern Downs have taken to social media to share their shock and grief at the tragic news, including Karin Perisic who said, “RIP - another sad day and lost dreams”.

Ann Covill shared similar devastation, saying, “Condolences to their families and loved ones. Love and hugs to all the first responders, (and) horrific for the truck driver.”

“So very sad for them and their family back home that never, ever imagined this would of (sic) happened and never get to see them again,” Melody Lee wrote.

Investigations into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing, with early indications suggesting the driver of the car may have looked the wrong way before pulling out onto the highway.

Click here if you would like to make a donation to the GoFundMe fundraiser.