Residents upset after koala died from being hit by a car, twice

A woman has recounted the heartbreaking moment she watched a koala reportedly hit by the same car twice.

A woman has recounted the heartbreaking moment she watched an injured koala drag itself up a tree after it was reportedly hit by the same car twice, leaving it to die in hospital hours later.

Gold Coast resident Brianna Lee shared a post to a Facebook community page which said an Uber driver witnessed another motorist hit a koala twice near Tallebudgera road in Burleigh Heads on Monday.

Ms Lee said she was on her way home from work when she saw a koala “dragging itself across the road with a broken leg” at around 4am after it was hit by a car.

“The koala managed to reach a nearby tree and slowly climb up to a branch about 20 feet high,” she said.

“It was heartbreaking and scary to see it struggle.”

Gold Coast resident Brianna Lee shared a post to a Facebook community page which said an Uber driver witnessed another motorist hit a koala twice near Tallebudgera road in Burleigh Heads on Monday. Photo: Brianna Lee

She said she called Wildcare Gold Coast to report the sighting when an off-duty police officer pulled over to help.

Ms Lee said Wildcare Gold Coast arrived at the location a few hours later when an Uber driver pulled over and reported to police that he witnessed someone hit the koala.

She said police then blocked off the road and the Wildcare rescuers coaxed the koala down a tree and into a crate.

The koala was taken to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital for treatment where he later died due to the “severe injuries”.

The Uber driver called the hospital to report that the motorist had “initially clipped the koala and then went back to hit it a second time”.

“The hospital staff speculated that the second impact caused injuries too severe for the koala to survive, despite it otherwise being healthy and free of Chlamydia,” Ms Lee said.

Ms Lee said it made her “ill to think someone could run over any animal twice and just continue on their way”.

A Currumbin Wildlife Hospital spokesperson said it was a crucial reminder for people to slow down and stay alert for animals when driving on Gold Coast roads.

“Currumbin Wildlife Hospital has seen 38 koalas admitted in the last 30 days for a variety of reasons including trauma, illness and injury,” they said.

Southern Gold Coast residents flooded Ms Lee’s post and said they had seen that koala in the area for months.

“Aw, so sad because I saw this koala July and August last year on the path and chased it up this exact tree. I reported the sighting as well,” Giorgi Smith said.

“What a w**ker,” Suzanne Williams commented.

If you have seen an injured koala call Wildcare on 07 5527 2444

Gold Coast resident Brianna Lee shared a post to a Facebook community page which said an Uber driver witnessed another motorist hit a koala twice near Tallebudgera road in Burleigh Heads on Monday. Photo: Brianna Lee

State member for Currumbin Laura Gerber and LNP candidate for Burleigh Hermann Vorster said they had been fighting for the Gold Coast’s endangered koala population.

“It’s devastating to learn a koala has been killed near Tallebudgera bridge, in the middle of koala breeding season,” Ms Gerber said.

“It reinforces how important collision mitigation measures are to safeguard our precious koala population.”

Ms Gerber said if the road – just off the Gold Coast Highway – was in the Koala Zone Trial “this koala may have not been killed”.

”Since our Koala Zone Trial there have been no koala deaths on Tallebudgera Connection Rd. In the same period last year, we lost two koalas,” she said.

Mr Vorster said he had been out doorknocking in the community and meeting with environmental volunteers to discus ways to protect the Gold Coast’s koala population.

“The risk of vehicles is the number one threat they face in this area,” he said.

“Koalas are our furry neighbours, and we need to do everything in our power to protect them.

“I will continue to advocate to protect this endangered species.”

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