Rising young MMA stars named as victims of horror double fatal crash on Echunga Rd, Paechtown, in Adelaide Hills

A pair of mixed martial arts fighters – aged just 21 and 22 – have been identified as the victims of a horror crash in the Adelaide Hills on Sunday.

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A duo making waves in Australia’s material arts scene have been identified as the victims of a horror Adelaide Hills crash.

Luke Marko, 21, a jiu-jitsu fighter, and Sami Adnan, 22, who trained in mixed martial arts, have been remembered as up and coming stars of combat sports.

A man close to the pair – Jobair Rafiq, of Rafiq Jiu Jitsu & MMA – told The Advertiser the budding champions were on their way home from an intense training session in the Hills when tragedy struck.

He said the pair were humble, community-minded young men.

Paechtown SA double fatal victim, Luke Marko trained in jiu-jitsu. Picture: Facebook

Paechtown SA double fatal victim Sami Adnan was a mixed martial arts fighter. Picture: Facebook

Flowers and martial arts apparel left as tributes at the fatal crash site in Hanhdorf. Picture: Darren Chaitman

“Luke was an amazing kid, very humble and came to help out at our gym … he was there the day we opened, helping out,” he said.

“(He was a) very strong young kid but very humble.”

He said Mr Adnan was equally as humble and driven to be not only a good fighter but a good human.

“Sami used to go to the same mosque as me … he was always there to help out and always listened to his elders and wanted to be better in life,” he said.

“In our mosque every Saturday we have open nights so all the young kids, rather than be in the club or streets, they would come to the gym and we used to have wrestling training and soccer going on.

“Sami would come in and, given his knowledge, would help out and be part of the community.

“These kids were always trying to do good … always stayed clean, they were upcoming champs and always wanted to do something good.”

Paechtown SA double fatal victim, Luke Marko, has been remembered as a “legend”. Picture: Facebook

Sami Adnan is the other victim of the Paechtown double fatal car crash. Picture: Facebook

Emergency services responded to reports a car smashed into a tree on Echunga Rd at Paechtown, near Hahndorf Football Club, just after 5pm on Sunday.

SA Police confirmed the driver of the Holden sedan, a 22-year-old man from Angle Park, and passenger, a 21-year-old man from Prospect, suffered critical injuries and died at the scene.

Flowers were left at the scene of the crash on Monday morning. Picture: Agnes Gichuhi

The stretch of Echunga Rd at Paechtown in the Adelaide Hills where the crash occurred. Picture: Agnes Gichuhi

The driver and passenger were critically injured and died at the scene. Picture: 7NEWS

Major Crash officers at the scene on Sunday night. Picture: 7NEWS

Echunga Rd at Paechtown, near Hahndorf, where the fatal crash occurred.

Loved ones of two young men have left a touching tribute at the scene of the crash, about 400m from the Hahndorf Football Club.

Mourners left bunches of flowers beside a large tree on the side of the road on Monday morning.

Regular users of Echunga Rd told The Advertiser the road was safe, despite the prevalence of other poor roads in the area.

Melinda, who was working in Handhorf on Monday and declined to share her surname, said the roads around the hills were “absolutely appalling” but Echunga Rd was “actually quite good”.

On Sunday night, Echunga Rd was closed from Hahndorf, with diversions in place on to Paechtown Rd while emergency services and Major Crash investigators attended the scene. It has since reopened.

Mr Adnan and Mr Marko are the 26th and 27th people to have died on South Australian roads so far this year.

Originally published as Rising young MMA stars named as victims of horror double fatal crash on Echunga Rd, Paechtown, in Adelaide Hills