A Central Queensland grandmother is living through a parent's worst nightmare after a devastating highway collision claimed the lives of her daughter and toddler granddaughter simultaneously.
A Fatal Collision on the Bruce Highway
The tragedy unfolded around 10:40 pm on Wednesday night near Canoona, north of Rockhampton. A freightliner truck carrying 21-year-old Kiarra Jesse Bennett and her two-year-old daughter, Aleyna Ivy Dawn Wallis, collided with a Mercedes-Benz truck on the Bruce Highway.
Kiarra's partner, Brodie Wallis, 24, was driving the freightliner. The impact of the crash was catastrophic. Both Kiarra and young Aleyna were pronounced dead at the scene.
A Family Shattered by Grief
Brodie Wallis was thrown from the truck during the collision. He sustained extensive injuries and burns, requiring immediate medical evacuation. He was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital in a critical condition, where he remained as of Sunday.
In a heartbreaking detail, the young father is still unaware that his partner and daughter have died. He continues to fight for his life, not knowing his family has been torn apart.
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz truck, also 24, escaped with minor injuries and was transported to hospital for treatment.
A Grandmother's Heartbreaking Tribute
Rebecca Bennett, the mother of Kiarra and grandmother of Aleyna, is now enduring unimaginable heartbreak. She took to social media to confirm the deaths with "deepest sadness and a broken heart."
"They've been taken away from us way too soon!!" she wrote, paying tribute to her "beautiful daughter" and "beautiful granddaughter." She added that words could not express what the family is feeling and asked for prayers for Brodie and his family.
A close friend of Rebecca's, Kaley Collis, has established a GoFundMe page to support the grieving family. "As a mother myself, I know that losing a child or grandchild, sadly both in this case, is the worst possible thing that could occur," Ms Collis stated. The funds will assist with funeral costs and support for Rebecca and her three other children during this horrific time.
Queensland Police have confirmed that their investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
