Tributes for British tourist John Cunningham, 57, killed in ‘heartbreaking’ circumstances at Harbour Town on Gold Coast
A British tourist killed in a freak accident in front of horrified family members outside a busy Gold Coast shopping centre had only touched down in the country the day before, it can be revealed.
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A British tourist killed in a freak accident in front of horrified family members outside a busy Gold Coast shopping centre had only touched down in the country the day before.
It comes as tributes flow in for UK national John Cunningham, who was struck by a ute outside the Harbour Town shopping centre on Wednesday.
It’s understood the 57-year-old, believed to be from the north of England, may have stepped out from behind a bus on Oxley Dr and was hit by the Holden Colorado dual-cab driven by a 19-year-old Biggera Waters man.
The man and other onlookers tried to help Mr Cunningham but he died at the scene.
The tragedy has rocked family and friends in the UK, with one woman posting: “So heartbreaking. Don’t seem right.”
One woman posted a heart-wrenching video of Mr Cunningham and wife Ann Marie delightedly embracing some of their grandkids at a birthday party just days ago at home in Britain.
“RIP never seen sadder … pray for the family, RIP John Cunningham,” she wrote.
Another friend posted: “Rest in peace to a true gentleman … a family man. I am lost for words. I remember the first day we stayed with you 18 years ago, you were such a caring person. Please keep his wife and children in prayer.”
A woman wrote: “RIP Uncle John Cunningham, can’t believe it. Watched us all grow up, pray for his family.”
Another woman posted: “RIP my cousin John Cunningham, I hope you have a lovely bed in heaven.”
Mrs Cunningham had posted videos to Facebook in recent days of she and her husband enjoying a Singapore stopover en route to Australia.
Queensland Ambulance Service's Stuart Cutajar, operations supervisor, said the incident was “a traumatic event”.
He confirmed that Mr Cunningham had only touched down in Australia on Tuesday, just 24 hours before he was tragically killed.
Mr Cutajar said a family member told QAS personnel he had been organising a mobile phone and SIM card at a Harbour Town shop prior to leaving the complex.
“Ambulance crews arrived on scene and performed a significant resuscitation attempt for an extended period of time, before the man unfortunately passed away at that location,” Mr Cutajar said.
“First and foremost our thoughts go out to the family. It's a very tragic event,” he said.
Mr Cutajar said the 19-year-old driver was treated for shock at the scene and taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.
He commended the police and paramedics on their response at the scene, saying: “It’s always tough going to anything like this. The paramedics are professionally trained and did the best job they could at the scene.”
Police are continuing to investigate the tragedy and are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.
Family anguish at ‘confronting’ scene of Harbour Town death
Family members of a United Kingdom man fatally run down by a car outside Harbour Town shopping centre screamed in anguish as they tried to reach his body following the tragic event.
One of the bystanders in the area after the horrific crash has described the scene as “sad” and “confronting”.
Preliminary information indicates the UK man, 57, was crossing Oxley Dr at Biggera Waters on foot when he was hit by a white 2012 Holden Colorado dual-cab ute travelling southbound about 5.15pm on Wednesday, according to Queensland Police.
The ute driver, a 19-year-old Biggera Waters man, “stopped and rendered immediate assistance to the man” before Queensland Ambulance paramedics arrived.
However, the UK man was not taken to hospital and died at the scene of the incident.
The witness, who spoke anonymously, said there was a flurry of activity from bystanders and arriving emergency services when he arrived at Harbour Town.
“The family were coming through crying their eyes out,” he said.
“A woman just kept on saying ‘no, Dad no’.
“They were trying to get to the body and police and ambos had to intervene to keep them back.”
Gold Coast police superintendent Craig Hanlon described the incident as “devastating”.
“The person was crossing the road at the time they were struck by the vehicle and it’s early days in the investigation, but the Forensic Crash Unit are investigating and will take as much time as they need,” he said.
“It is a tragedy and we have to be mindful that everyone uses the road, be it pedestrians, cyclists, passengers or drivers of vehicles, and we urge people to take care.
“(The 19-year-old driver) is helping our investigation and no arrests have been made.
“It’s a horrific incident when something like this happens and we need to ensure everyone is supported through this.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of comments about the incident have emerged on local social media pages.
Residents offered condolences, shared their close calls with pedestrians while driving and speculated about how the incident played out.
“So sad. Our kids and I saw this man lying down on the road as we drove past on the opposite side driving home from jumps training,” a woman wrote.
A man said the incident was “terrible for all involved” and his “heart goes out to everyone involved”.
Another commenter offered her “deepest sympathy to the man’s family and the young driver”.
“ … how devastating for all concerned. This poor young man. So much to carry at such a young age. May this poor man rest in peace always,” she wrote.
Many praised the driver for rushing to help the UK man.
“Feel for the young man but at least he acted like a man doing everything he could after a horrible accident,” one man wrote.
Some motorists suggested pedestrian and vehicle incidents were fairly common in the area and one woman said it was a “shocking black spot right there”.
“(I) was driving there 2 nights ago towards Hope Island and a man in his 50s stepped out in front of me with a woman in tow,” she wrote.
“I was only going 50kmh an hour and slammed on the anchors. I could not see them there … it needs far better lighting along that stretch. It’s been that bad for eons.”
Another man suggested “railings need to be put up to stop pedestrians crossing at this site”.
Police have appealed for witnesses – especially those with dashcam vision or CCTV of the crash or the moments leading up to it – to come forward.
Know more? Call Policelink on 131 444.
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