Rowella Tasmania horse float crash: GoFundMe started for five injured

The community continues to rally around five young Tasmanians injured in a tragic car crash that killed four horses, as the extent of the locals’ injuries are revealed >>

A GoFundMe appeal has been launched for the families of five Tasmanians involved in a crash at Rowella.

The community continues to rally around five young Tasmanians injured in this week’s tragic car crash that killed four horses.

Five young people aged 14 to 21 were returning from a harness meeting in Hobart in the early hours of Monday morning in a white Ford Ranger with a horse float attached when they left the road and crashed into a tree stump.

Emergency services were called to the scene on the Batman Highway at Rowella at 1.45am after an iPhone, which pings emergency services if it believes its owner has been involved in a crash, alerted police of the incident.

Three days after the accident, a GoFundMe appeal has been created to help the families with medical costs as the five recover from their injuries.

The crash scene at Rowella.

“Whilst they don’t have life threatening injuries, it is still going to be a very long, stressful and extremely expensive rehabilitation ... it will go a long way to getting these guys back doing what they love,” the fundraiser reads.

The fundraising page also detailed the injuries of each of the five involved in the crash.

Bronte Miller. Photo: Facebook

Eighteen-year-old Brontë Miller has dislocated one of her hips and broken the other, has a fractured arm and has lost vision in one of her eyes.

Cody Crossland, 19, has several broken ribs, a laceration to his face which required surgery, a broken shoulder blade and internal injuries.

Cody Crossland. Photo: Facebook

Lily Blundstone, Tasmania. Photo: Facebook

Cody’s girlfriend Lily Blundstone, 21, has “lots of bruising, aches and pains”.

Maree Wakefield. Photo: Facebook

Sixteen-year-old Maree Wakefield has a significant laceration to her face, with Bronte’s little brother Blake Miller, 14, fortunately only shaken up by the accident.

Yoles Harness Racing Stables shared an update on their social media, praising Launceston General Hospital’s “phenomenal” staff for their care of a number of their staff involved in the crash.

“We would love to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out, called, text, offered support, cooked for us and just generally checked in,” the stables posted.

“We are overwhelmed at the amount of messages we have received, both via here as well as personally. The support is just astounding.

“Injury wise, there is a journey ahead for all, certainly some will be longer, but we are confident that we will get through this together.

“Our Yole stable is a family and we have stuck together like glue these last few days. We will continue to do that.”

The stables shared their grief with the owners of the four horses killed in the tragic crash.

“Our hearts hurt. When we arrived at the scene and the hospital the first question everyone asked was about the horses. Our team love them, care for them and cherish each of them. This has shown. RIP little ones.”