A British man has been charged after a teenage girl died in a crash on the state’s Mid North Coast on Thursday.
It was about 11am on Thursday when a Toyota Prado – carrying a family of seven – and a Mitsubishi van collided on the Pacific Highway at Herons Creek, 30km south of Port Macquarie.
Jade Finn, 16, who was a passenger in 4WD, died when the vehicle rolled several times.
Jade Finn, 16, (L) died in a horror Mid-North Coast school holiday car crash in front of seven family members including her mother Jodie Williams (R)
She was thrown from her car and died at the scene after it swerved to avoid a van police said pulled out in front of it, and rolled several times
The family (Jade pictured with mother and brother Aarom Nanai-Williams) was travelling up the Mid-North Coast on the Pacific Highway near Port Macquarie about 11am on Thursday
The 4WD driver, a 37-year-old woman, and a nine-year-old girl were airlifted to John Hunter Hospital for treatment to severe fractures. It is understood they are in a stable condition.
The remaining family members, a 20-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and two boys, aged 15 and six, were taken to Port Macquarie Hospital as a precaution.
The driver of the van, a 20-year-old man, was taken to Port Macquarie Hospital as a precaution and mandatory testing, before being taken to Port Macquarie Police Station.
He has now been charged with not give way, and negligent driving causing death.
The man, from the UK, was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Port Macquarie Local Court on Friday.
A passenger in the van, also aged 20, didn’t require medical treatment.
Jade pictured with her mother (L), and father Jason Finn (R) – it’s not known if they were among the injured
Jade was also given a sendoff by the local Macquarie United Scorpions rugby league club, where her little sister played under 15s
Officers attached to Mid North Coast Crash Investigation Unit established a crime scene which was forensically examined.
The crash happened on the eve of Operation Slow Down.
Operation Slow Down, the State’s Labour Day weekend road safety campaign, starts after Midnight on Friday and will continue until 11.59pm on Monday 2 October 2017.
Double demerits will be in place over the entire long-weekend for all speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle-helmet offences.
Jade was a popular student at Toronto High School in Newcastle and her school friends were hit hard by her untimely death.
‘Always my best friend. Forever my angel,’ close friend Hayley May wrote on Facebook next to a happy snap of the two of them.
Another close friend, Tamara Fenton, wrote a heartbreaking farewell lamenting that she never got to say goodbye in person.
The woman driving the car (pictured) suffered head injuries and was rushed to John Hunter Hospital, where she remains
Two of those injured in the crash were flown to John Hunter Hospital by helicopter
‘I can’t believe it’s a goodbye to this beautiful girl, I love you so much and it’s so devastating that I couldn’t say goodbye to you or hear your last word,’ she wrote.
‘I’m sorry that this happened to you, you didn’t deserve to die like this at such a young age, fly high my beautiful best friend you’ll always be loved and remembered by your family and all your friends.’
Another friend commented on her most recent photo saying: ‘Forever 16, I love you so much Jade. You’re so so gorgeous.’
‘Sorry to hear this I’m literally crying my eyes out, you helped me through the good and bad Jade, I’ll miss u heaps r.i.p lots of love,’ Kaiden Kashme wrote.
Issac Whitten wrote: ‘Rest easy and don’t party to hard up there Jade, you will be missed by millions.’
Remaining family members were taken to both John Hunter and Port Macquarie Hospitals for non-life threatening injuries
Jade was also given a sendoff by the local Macquarie United Scorpions rugby league club, where her little sister played under 15s.
Another mother of a club player called Jade a ‘beautiful wild child’ and offered condolences to her mother Jodie Williams.
‘Jade you lit up any room you walked into anything that you said was a cracker,’ Mel Greig wrote.
‘Jodie how my heart breaks for you, you are always the 1st to offer anyone the world with your generosity, now please lean on us when you need.’
The woman driving the car suffered head injuries and was rushed to John Hunter Hospital, where she remains.
Remaining family members were taken to both John Hunter and Port Macquarie Hospitals for non-life threatening injuries.
NSW Police are investigating the horrific accident, which is the second death on the Pacific Highway since the school holidays began
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