Adelaide's close-knit Filipino community has been plunged into mourning following a devastating single-vehicle crash on New Year's Eve that claimed two lives and injured six others.
A Tragic Start to the New Year
The fatal incident occurred just before midnight on 31 December 2025 on the Horrocks Highway near the town of Tarlee, in South Australia's Mid North. A Toyota Tarago, carrying eight people who were travelling towards Clare, reportedly lost control and rolled.
Tragically, two passengers died at the scene. They have been identified as 18-year-old international student Edson Dioneda, who had been in Adelaide for less than a month, and 71-year-old Salisbury North grandmother Fe Desuyo Pantil.
Lives Full of Promise and Love Cut Short
The loss has shattered families and a wide circle of friends. Edson Dioneda's aunt, Angelica Rempillo, expressed the family's profound grief in a heartfelt online tribute, describing the crash as "a cruel way to end one year and begin another".
"He arrived full of dreams and hope," she wrote of her nephew. "His life was taken far too soon." The family is now facing the immense emotional and financial challenge of repatriating Edson's body to the Philippines and has launched a public appeal for support.
Fe Pantil is remembered as a beloved pillar of her family and the local Filipino community, known for her warm nature, her cooking, and her constant presence at gatherings. She is survived by three daughters and ten grandchildren.
Community Rallies in Grief and Support
News of the double tragedy has sent shockwaves through Adelaide's Filipino circles, prompting an outpouring of grief, prayer vigils, and coordinated fundraising efforts to assist both families with funeral and associated costs.
The six other occupants of the van, including the 52-year-old driver, were all transported to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment of their injuries.
This heartbreaking accident has added to South Australia's road toll for 2025, with Edson and Fe becoming the 86th and 87th lives lost on the state's roads last year. The tight-knit community now faces the difficult task of supporting the injured and mourning the departed as they step into the new year.
