TEARS FLOW FOR TAYLAH
Quad bike tragedy claims young life
A NORTH Queensland community has been left in shock after 22-year-old Taylah Pearson ( pictured) died as a result of a quad bike crash.
Ms Pearson, from Ayr, has been remembered as a friendly and popular young woman who was an active member of her community.
“It makes me crook to see a life taken and it’s definitely a sad time in the Burdekin,” Ayr resident and former KAP hopeful Brendan Bunyan said. Ms Pearson was a passenger on a quad bike when it flipped over on Old Home Hill Rd on Friday night.
A YOUNG woman beloved by her community has died after her family made the heartbreaking decision to switch off life support.
The Burdekin township was left in shock after news broke of 22-year-old Taylah Pearson’s fight for life after a quad bike crash on Thursday night.
A QPS spokesman confirmed the young woman’s death yesterday afternoon.
“Sadly, a woman who sustained critical injuries following a quad bike crash near Ayr has passed away in hospital,” the spokesman said.
Ms Pearson was transported to Ayr Hospital after suffering serious head injuries, before being flown to Townsville University Hospital where she remained in a critical condition until life support was turned off overnight.
Ms Pearson was a passenger on a quad bike when it flipped over on Old Home Hill Rd in Mcdesme around 8.30pm on Friday.
Former KAP hopeful and Ayr resident Brendan Bunyan played on the same local rugby team as the alleged driver of the quad bike Ms Pearson fell from and said everyone was hurting in the wake of the tragic news.
“It makes me crook to see a life taken and it’s definitely a sad time in the Burdekin – it hits a small community like ours worse,” Mr Bunyan said.
“They’re all good people.
“They were good friends just hanging out as friends do.”
Mr Bunyan said Ms Pearson’s entire family were well known and loved as active members of the community.
“A lot of the lads I know when they heard, they were devastated – she was a friendly girl and had a lot of friends,” Mr Bunyan said.
“She played soccer and worked at Wilmar as an apprentice so there will be a lot of people really shaken by this.”
Preliminary information suggests three quad bikes carrying five people were travelling together when one of the vehicles flipped over, causing the driver and passenger to fall off.
The 23-year-old male driver involved in the crash was not seriously injured in the crash and is assisting police with inquiries.
Police attended the scene and the 22-year-old driver of one of the accompanying quad bikes was charged with drink driving, not wearing a helmet, driving unregistered and driving unlicensed.
The third driver, a 21-year-old Ayr man, was also charged with drink driving.
Both men were due to appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on August 17.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
It makes me crook to see a life taken and it’s definitely a sad time BRENDAN BUNYAN