Two Hongkongers killed in car crash while visiting Australia
Woman, 64, and 46-year-old daughter confirmed dead at the scene, while two other family members suffered injuries after rental car slammed into bridge
Two members of a Hong Kong family were killed and the other two injured after their rental car crashed on a highway during a tour in Australia.
The family of four were believed to have started the holiday in Brisbane, capital of Queensland state, and were on their way back to the city when the accident happened.
According to the New South Wales Police Force, the family’s rental car crashed on Sunday afternoon into a bridge on Pacific Highway at Cudgera Creek before landing in a culvert. Cudgera Creek is about 35 kilometres north of beach town Byron Bay in the state of New South Wales.
A 64-year-old woman and her daughter, 46, were confirmed dead at the scene.
The daughter’s 47-year-old husband, who is a nurse at Hong Kong’s Princess Margaret Hospital, and their 14-year-old son were given treatment at the scene. Their injuries were not life-threatening and they were later flown to Gold Coast University Hospital.
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A New South Wales Police Force spokesman told the Post they were in a stable condition.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department said that it had contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Hong Kong and the Chinese consulate in Brisbane to learn more about the case. The department has also contacted the adult survivor and other family members to provide help.
After the accident, local authorities closed the northbound section of the Pacific Highway and diverted traffic to other roads.
A police unit from Ballina town in New South Wales has started investigating the case, and is calling for any witnesses to come forward. A forensic crash unit is also on the case.
The cause of the crash has not been confirmed.
Several Hongkongers have been killed or seriously injured in crashes during driving tours abroad over the year.
In June, two women, aged 56 and 62, were killed near Littlerock, California, during a journey from Los Angeles to Las Vegas when their car collided with a pickup truck. Twin brothers aged 25 on board were also injured.
In September last year, a Hong Kong man was killed and his girlfriend suffered serious injuries when their rented motorcycle crashed into a truck on the Thai holiday island of Koh Samui.
