Victim’s sister fights for life
A father is grieving for one daughter and praying his other daughter survives after a fiery late-night Christchurch crash.
Tayla Bray Alexander, 17, died when the car she was in crashed down a bank and caught fire on Wednesday night on the Port Hills.
Her 15-year-old sister, Sunmara, suffered extensive burns in the crash and is fighting for her life in Auckland Hospital.
Sunmara was having surgery last night and could be in a coma for months, their father Jason Alexander told The Press .
He said he was grateful to the bystanders "who risked their own lives by running to a burning car to help pull Sunmara out’’, as well as emergency services, for their actions that night.
‘‘They are all true heroes,’’ he said.
Another two teenagers in the car sustained serious and moderate injuries.
Alexander said Tayla was ‘‘the mother hen of the family’’, while Sunmara had suffered injuries over the years and ‘‘always got back up’’.
Police continue to investigate and no charges have yet been laid. Detective Sergeant Brad Grainger said police wanted to hear from anyone who saw the crash, or the car beforehand.
Alexander has been keeping friends and family updated over Facebook, telling them doctors were willing to go beyond what they normally do to give the family a chance of seeing Sunmara again.
‘‘I’m staying strong and am
staying positive as best as I can.’’
‘‘Please say a prayer ... and send her strength to keep continuing this fight she is fighting.’’
He told The Press Tayla had ‘‘a pure beautiful soul’’.
‘‘Tayla was a very caring person who always put others first before herself either if it was a friend or a complete stranger,’’ he said.
‘‘She has helped so many people, if it was guidance or just a ear to listen to. She was very talented at art ... she was also like the mother hen of the family and would be quick to put Sunmara or even me in place at times.
‘‘She also had a huge love for animals and completely adored her grandparents.’’
Alexander said Sunmara had a ‘‘nothing is a worry attitude’’.
‘‘She is so full of energy and a complete practical joker, her sense of humour is amazing, she was quite the tomboy growing up, [she] has had quite a few trips to the hospital over broken bones or other injuries, but always got back up.’’
Members of the Ashburton community are rallying together to help the Alexander family, including the Ashburton Angels.
The group was formed by Debbie-Lee Powell and Carolyn
Rai last week.
Already 300 people have joined the Facebook group, with about 50 families receiving items so far, including 30 frozen chickens supplied for Christmas.
‘‘It’s just to help the families in this little community because I’ve been there, I’ve lined up in the City Mission for a Christmas meal myself. I’m certainly not rich, I live pay packet to pay packet, but I can give,’’ Powell said.
After hearing about the crash, Powell messaged members of the family asking if there was any way they could help.
‘‘They came back with a list, and we were like, ‘we will rally together and do this’.’’
A funeral for Tayla is to be held on Thursday, with about 500 people expected to attend. Powell and others are trying to source enough paper plates and food for the service.
The feedback from the community had been ‘‘amazing’’, she said.
‘‘This was only an idea seven days ago, and it’s just gone mad.’’
About 10 families had donated goods, including food, petrol vouchers and money. The group was also trying to collect 45 baby formula tins to be used as donation boxes throughout the town.