Victim left with no memory after being ‘left for dead’ on Bali road

THE mum of an Aussie whose face was shattered in a horrific hit-and-run is enduring an agonising wait for her to wake up.

Louis Macindoe and Tori Van de Stadt were injured in a horror hit-and-run in Bali.

THE family of an Australian woman whose face was shattered in a horror hit-and-run incident in Bali face an agonising wait as their daughter lies sedated in hospital after a 13-hour marathon surgery.

Victoria Van de Stadt, 25, and her boyfriend Louis Macindoe, 26, were knocked from their rented scooter apparently by a speeding car while on holiday in Kuta last Wednesday night.

Ms Van de Stadt, who was launched face-first into a roadside tree, suffered the most severe injuries of the pair and yesterday underwent 13 hours of surgery to plant titanium plates in her cheeks and piece together her split jaw and smashed eye socket, nose and palate.

Mr Macindoe suffered injuries to his head and face, and emerged from surgery with no recollection of the tragic events of last Wednesday night .

His girlfriend is also expected to have no understanding of what happened that night once she emerges from an induced coma.

Speaking from Perth Royal Hospital where her daughter remains sedated after being flown from Bali for emergency surgery, Tori’s mother Tracey Priestley told news.com.au she harboured fears about her daughter’s reaction to the incident when she wakes, which could be later today.

“I expect for her to be freaking out I guess; I’ve just got no idea how to prepare,” she said.

“I feel like it will just be incredibly confronting for her and I don’t know how she’s going to take it or what happens in these situations. You see in the movies people open their eyes and wake up and start talking, but I’ve been told it’s not going to be like that.”

Ms Priestley said her daughter’s boyfriend had “no recollection” of the incident at all.

Tori Van de Stadt with her mother Tracey Priestley. Picture: Instagram

The Newcastle couple had travelled to Bali for a week-long holiday. They were staying in the southern coastal town of Canggu.

On the last night of their holiday, the pair went out for dinner, and hopped on the scooter they had hired to ride back to their accommodation.

On the short ride, they were hit by a vehicle and left for dead, with their mangled bike “folded in half” on the road.

They were found on the quiet street by a group of tourists with medical training who called an ambulance and kept them alive, assisting with Van de Stadt’s breathing during the wait. They were then taken to hospital, their families notified by staff at their hotel, and were flown to Perth where they were each operated on.

But Mr Macindoe doesn’t remember anything beyond their end-of-holiday dinner.

“He has no idea what’s happened. I think it’s probably both the shock, some sort of self-preservation mechanism, and the injuries that’s caused that,” Ms Priestley said.

Ms Van de Stadt is expected to wake from sedation today but it will be at least a month before her family can even consider returning her to her Newcastle home.

The popular hairdresser and cafe manager is expected to be unable to eat and speak for “months” and will have difficulty walking due to the spinal injuries she endured.

“Tori’s strong, she’s really healthy, but this isn’t like anything she’s been through,” Ms Priestley said.

The scene where Louis Macindoe and Tori Van de Stadt were injured in Canggu, North Kuta. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

Louis Macindoe shared the last photo of Tori Van de Stadt before the accident in a heartfelt post. Picture: Instagram/@louistalksmacindoe

Mr Macindoe, who was operated on for his head injuries, asked friends to keep Tori in their thoughts in an emotional Instagram post.

“I’m sending cosmic healing vibes and loving energies across to Perth for my love,” he wrote.

The emotional caption accompanied what Mr Macindoe said was the last photograph of Tori before the horror crash that resulted in them both being hospitalised.

“I’ve been operated on and gathered enough sense to operate my phone, sort of. Tori is still undergoing surgery and I need for you all to be still keeping her in your thoughts,” he wrote.

“It’s hard to get any purchase on what happened given the circumstances, it’s the first time in my life I’ve come that close to wiping out completely.”

Both Mr Macindoe and Ms Van de Stadt were adventurous and well-travelled, and experienced in two-wheeled riding.

The pair’s social media feeds show a clear love for motorbikes and adventure.

But in his post, Mr Macindoe said his experience didn’t help in the horrific crash.

“While you might consider yourself to be pretty well versed on two wheels, sometimes your number can just be up,” he said.

Ms Priestley said the midnight call she received from hotel staff was “an absolute shock”, and that she hadn’t been worried about her daughter and Mr Macindoe when they headed off on their trip.

“Tori’s been to Spain for six months on her own, she’s been to Hawaii on her own, Mexico on her own. She travels on her own all the time and she’s going to Bail for a week with her boyfriend to do nice things, hang out on the beach,” she said.

“Tori’s an experienced traveller; I really wasn’t concerned about her.”

Mr McIndoe and Ms Priestley both said they were “overwhelmed” at the love and support that had been shown to the couple and their families since the incident.

Louis Macindoe doesn’t remember a thing. Picture: Instagram

A close friend of the popular Newcastle woman, Hayley McCloy, has started an online fundraising campaign that has already raised more than $66,000 to go towards covering the family’s travels and hospital expenses.

“With a long road of recovery ahead, Tori must undergo major facial reconstructive surgery and ongoing treatment,” Ms McCloy wrote on the gofundme page.

“The international hospital fees and travel expenses to transport her safely back to Australia have already amounted to over $60,000 dollars.”

Ms McCloy described Ms Van de Stadt as a “bubbly, ambitious and a ‘do anything for anyone’ type of girl”.

“Her adventurous nature, competitiveness and genuine love for life are only some of the reasons that make Tori so special,” she wrote.

Friends, family members and people who have never even met her have left encouraging messages and tributes along with donations on the fundraising page.

“Stay strong, Doll xo,” Josie Grant wrote.

“Sometimes life throw you a curve ball. Hoping this is one of those moments and nothing more. Best wishes and get well soon mate,” friend Aj Jeske wrote.