Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass, Eleanor Cunington killed in Mackay crash
A fundraiser for three ‘best friends’ lost in a head-on crash has raised more than $10k in less than 12 hours to help their loved ones navigate the gut wrenching journey of saying goodbye.
The identities of the three teens killed in a horror triple-fatal crash outside Mackay have been revealed as their families work through an unimaginable tragedy.
Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass and Eleanor Cunington — all 19 — were in a green Mazda sedan coming home from a night of tenpin bowling when they crashed into a Great Wall Ute around 10:30pm Friday night on the Mackay Ring Road.
A GoFundMe has been created to help to their families with this gut wrenching tragedy has already raised more than $10,000 in less than 12 hours.
The driver of the Great Wall, a 29-year-old Blacks Beach man, was taken to hospital with minor leg injuries.
Liam and T-Jay, students at Mackay North State High School, had known each other since they were two years old, Liam’s mum Rebecca Rose Doumergue shared.
“They have been inseparable since prep”.
Ms Doumergue said she and Michelle Petrass — T-Jay’s mum — raised the boys together over the years, and now feel like they lost two sons.
“Liam made Mother’s Day cards for her every year,” Ms Doumergue said, adding Liam would spend almost all of his weekends with T-Jay at Michelle’s home.
“I’m so glad that Liam had two mums. Not everyone is that lucky.”
Liam and Eleanor — known as Ellie — had dated throughout high school before she left to live in Scotland for a year.
“They had all just reconnected,” Ms Doumergue said.
Liam would sometimes crash at Ellie’s mum’s house while they were dating and would cheekily “miss” the school bus on those mornings, she said.
Losing a child just taking their first steps into their adult lives carries its own unique pain.
Liam and T-Jay had just started to get their lives together, with full-time jobs and felt the joy of having their own money in the bank.
“Then it’s ripped away,” Ms Doumergue said.
Colleagues of Liam’s at his workplace, Keen2Kill Pest Control said he was known for his kindness, gentleness, good humour, and hard work.
“His absence leaves a hole in our hearts that cannot be filled,” they wrote.
“Our entire team is heartbroken. Liam wasn’t just a colleague, he was a valued part of our work family.”
A relative of T-Jay’s, Jason Goodfellow, shared photos of the two of them to Facebook, and said they were “no doubt still having a good time together up top”.
“R.I. P to me little brother T-jay and his best mate Liam,” Mr Goodfellow wrote.
On Monday, July 22, Cathy Stalb created a GoFundMe page for the families of the trio.
“Three of the best of friends lost their lives in a horrific accident, Liam Doumergue, Tjay Petrass and Ellie Cunington,” she wrote.
“But their far too short lived were much more than their final moments earth side and as such they deserve the best services/memorials possible and their families need time and space to learn how to navigate their loss.
“The funds fro mthis GoFundMe will be spread evenly three ways by the families directly to allow the time and funds to process this immense pain.”
Mackay was left reeling by another fatal crash less than 12 hours after the teens were killed.
A North Mackay man, 45, was killed when his motorbike struck a trailer on the intersection of Mackay-Bucasia Rd and the Bruce Highway on Saturday.
Four more people were killed in a Central Queensland crash on Sunday, marking a horrible 16 lives lost in seven days across the state.
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Originally published as Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass, Eleanor Cunington killed in Mackay crash
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