Reach Church pays tribute to Maryborough crash victims

The husband of a 23-year-old church leader is said to be 100 per cent focused on her recovery as she fights for life following a horror triple-fatal crash.

New details have emerged in Kaylah Behrens condition.

An “amazing” 23-year-old church leader who was critically injured in a crash has taken a turn for the worse in hospital despite undergoing surgery.

Kaylah Behrens was on Sunday, April 30 flown to Brisbane from the horror scene on Saltwater Creek Rd where fellow church members Michale Chandler, 29 and Kelsie Davies, 17 as well as 52-year-old nurse Sheree Robertson – in a separate vehicle – all died following a crash allegedly caused by a 13-year-old boy in a stolen Mercedes.

It had been confirmed that Ms Behrens had surgery on the following Tuesday and as of Wednesday, May 3 was in a serious but stable condition.

However according to a Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital spokesperson Ms Behrens’ condition worsened to critical on Thursday, May 4 and remained the same as of the morning of Monday, May 8.

A spokesperson for the family said that Ms Behrens’ husband, David Behrens, is focussed on seeing through his wife’s recovery.

“He is focussing 100% of his energy on bringing home Kaylah safe from the hospital,” Reach Church Fraser Coast Pastor Darren Hayhoe said.

Mr Hayhoe described Ms Behrens as an “amazing young lady”.

The memorial for the three crash victims has been moved across the road and a small fence has been erected.

A fence has been placed around the floral tributes dedicated to three people who lost their lives in a crash in Maryborough.

“She loves mentoring, she loves being around other people,” Mr Hayhoe said

“We really pray that she comes through this and she can walk out of the hospital fully recovered.”

His focus has been on supporting the families of all four of the women including setting up a GoFundMe page.

“We are starting a GoFundMe page for all the people involved so that we can help (the Behren family) practically with ongoing expenses,” he said.

“And then obviously for any and all costs for Kelsie’s family and Michale’s family, for funeral costs through to living expenses, because obviously the wake of losing someone, it’s huge.”

All three church members were travelling back from Hervey Bay after seeing a movie when the tragedy occurred while Ms Robertson was driving home to Hervey Bay after finishing her shift.

Fraser Coast nurse Sheree Robertson was tragically killed in a crash at Maryborough.

The sad update to comes at a time when members of the Maryborough community continue to show their support through generous donations.

From a cafe donating the day’s coffee profits to a church congregation digging deep for grieving families of faith, the Maryborough community has answered the call to help those hit hardest.

So far the GoFundMe page has raised $85,144 including a $7,363 donation from Myatt Jewellers, that store’s total earnings from Thursday, May 4.

Tinana Christian Church and Tim and Naomi Oksanen also donated $4,000.

A separate fundraiser started for Ms Robertson had also raised $8,334 so far.

A heartfelt card dedicated to Michale Chandler sits at the crash site.

Floral tributes also continue to grow at the makeshift memorial at the city‘s entrance where the crash occurred.

A nearby resident has even offered her front yard and porch to families wanting to place flowers if room runs out.

A tribute card left at the site of the crash dedicated to Ms Chandler read their “beloved sister” was a woman of faith who is “confident and fearless” and put her trust in God.

Another tribute message for all three victims, saying “although we never know you, our hearts are heavy and so sad.”

“May you all RIP and fly high with the angels.

“You will not be forgotten.”

A message left alongside floral tributes for three women who died in a crash in Maryborough on Sunday.

“We are so blessed in our community to have some phenomenal young ladies in our church,” Mr Hayhoe said.

“We’re hurt and devastated by the news … it’s massive.”

The senior pastor first met Ms Chandler when she was 13 and joined the church after moving to Maryborough from Townsville.

A natural leader, Ms Chandler immediately found her vocation as a pastor and leader.

Michale Chandler is pictured with her husband Matthew. She was tragically killed in a crash in Maryborough.

“Michale is one of the most beautiful young ladies that I know – she’s a great wife, phenomenal mum and a great friend to a lot of people,” he said.

Since arriving as a full-time intern since January, Ms Davies had been “integral part” of the church and a breath of fresh air,” Mr Hayhow said.

“She’s a young lady with an untapped and unknown passion for what she was doing – she was so young and passionate about what she did.

“She loved crazy, she wore her heart on her sleeve.

“She’s just an inspirational young lady – she inspired me to be a better man than I am today, because of how she held her life.”

Oakhurst’s Kelsie Davies died when a stolen vehicle, allegedly being driven by a 13-year-old Bundaberg boy, crashed into the back of the Holden she was a passenger in.

And the congregation will be “getting around” the families.

Maryborough’s Reach Church has been devastated by the loss of two of its beloved family, as a third clings to life in Brisbane following Sunday’s horror triple fatality.

“We have a church where we’ll be getting around those families and who will support and do things practically in any way that we can,” he said.

Asked about the community sentiment towards the teenager allegedly responsible for the crash, Mr Hayhoe said it wasn’t his “job to stand in any way of being the judge, juror or anything like that”.

“My job … is to care for the people that I have been involved with, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Maryborough Mayor George Seymour previously ordered that flags around the town to be flown at half mast.

“I made the decision that they be flown at half mast as an expression of the community’s grief,” Mr Seymour said.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community. Lives of boundless love and potential have been cut short. As a community we are grieving.”

Maryborough Mayor George Seymour ordered the town’s flags be flown at half mast.

The GoFundMe Page set up by Reach Church Fraser Coast continues to call for donations.

“Three beautiful souls’ earthly light extinguished too early and another, Kaylah, fighting to keep her light bright and earthside,” the page read.

The page states funds donated will be entirely given to the victims’ families “to support them during the recovery and rehabilitation, costs and living expenses for the families that will take time to readjust to life without their loved ones”.

The flag at half mast at city hall in Maryborough on Tuesday.

Flags flew at half-mast in Hervey Bay too.

Granville State School principal Phil Murtagh also took to social media this week to pay tribute to Ms Chandler.

“The Maryborough community are currently in mourning with the heartbreaking news about those who were lost as a result of the weekend’s vehicle accident,” Mr Murtagh said in the post.

Granville State School paid tribute to the school's physiotherapist, Michale Chandler, in a Facebook post.

“We at Granville and Albert schools, as well as the Maryborough State Schools cluster bid farewell to our physiotherapist, Michale Chandler, and send our deepest condolences to her family.

“She was truly a beautiful person.

“Our thoughts go to our colleagues at Riverside Christian College, Queensland Health, and our friends at Reach Church who are also figuring out how to work through the heartbreaking events.”

Originally published as Reach Church pays tribute to Maryborough crash victims