A young mother of two killed in a multi-car crash in Queensland has kindly received her boyfriend, who remains under police guard in hospital for weeks.
Gypsy Satterley, 25, died in a suspected domestic violence homicide when the UTV she was in rammed into the path of another vehicle on the federal Bruce Highway near Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
Rafferty Rolfe, 25, of Yandina, who was in a stolen car that hit his car, was the sole survivor of the three-car crash that happened at 4 a.m. Friday.
Alpaca breeder Jessica Townley, 38, of Imbil, was killed when her blue Great Wall camel suffered what appeared to be collateral damage.
According to police, the stolen Isuzu MU-X was following a northbound Nissan Navara, which was carrying Ms Satterley – who was in a relationship with Rolfe – as a passenger.
It is believed the stolen Isuzu then drove the Navara into the path of southbound Miss Townley.
Mrs Satterley, who is believed to have two daughters aged six and eight, and the 65-year-old man driving the Navara both died in the crash.
Police said Ms Satterly and the Navara driver were not known before last night.
An investigation is underway to determine if he was a good Samaritan after getting out of the Isuzu.
A close friend of Ms Satterley described her as a ‘lovely person’ who is survived by her brother, sister, mother and father.
The friend said she invited Roloff to stay at her home just three weeks ago when she needed a place to stay.
‘We are all devastated… he never deserved this,’ the friend told the Courier Mail.
Gypsy Satterley, 25, (pictured) died in a suspected domestic violence homicide when she drove into the path of another car on the federal Bruce Highway near Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
Rafferty Rolfe, 25, who was in a stolen car that hit his car, is the sole survivor of the three-car crash that happened around 4 a.m. Friday.
Alpaca breeder Jessica Townley, 38, was killed after her blue Great Wall camel was hit in the tragic collision.
Three vehicles were involved in a fatal crash on Federal A on the Bruce Highway. Homicide investigators are investigating the crash
Ms Satterly’s death is now being treated as a domestic-violence murder.
Rolf was known to Queensland Police and was taken to hospital with serious head injuries where he remains under police guard.
On Friday night, he was charged with one count of armed robbery with violence for allegedly stealing an Isuzu.
He is due to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 24.
Detective Superintendent Ben Fadian told reporters: ‘The white Isuzu Nissan Navara was attempting to ram the motor vehicle.
As a result of that vehicle [Nissan] Bruce crossed over into the southbound lane of the highway.’
Police confirmed on Friday night that Ms Satterley and Rolf were allegedly in a relationship before the tragedy.
In a haunting final Facebook post just four days ago, Ms Satterley, also from Yandina, posted ‘Keep Going’, a poem about pushing through cruel odds.
It includes the lines: ‘No matter how bad things are now, no matter how long you’ve cried, no matter how down and hopeless you feel…
‘I promise you you won’t feel this way forever. keep brewing.’
In an earlier post in late June he reposted another message with the caption: ‘Rahh rahhh you’re a dead man.’
The post added: ‘Sometimes we don’t really let go. We didn’t really advance. We just learn to live with loss. We learn to laugh when we are sad.
‘We carry on and hope for the best.’
Gypsy (pictured) is believed to be the mother of two young girls aged approximately 8 and 6
In a haunting final Facebook post (pictured) just four days ago, Ms Satterley posted ‘Keep Going’, a poem about pushing through cruel odds.
The accident happened in Noosa, in the federal west of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, as this map shows.
Shocked friends paid tribute to the young mother after news of the tragedy broke.
‘He was at my house last night but I missed his calls and he never turned up,’ one told the Courier-Mail. ‘This time there was no tomorrow.
‘His brothers and sisters are devastated along with his mum and dad, we are all devastated.
‘She was a beautiful person who deserved more than life. He never deserved it.’
The white Isuzu MU-X was stolen 12 hours before the highway crash in a violent daylight carjacking on Gympie’s main road on Thursday, police said.
A car alert was issued after the family got into their car after a man armed with a knife threatened a mother and her three children.
Terrified mother, Bec Alexander, got her kids out of the car before handing it over to the robbers. She and her children were unharmed.
Ms Alexander said in a Facebook post: ‘My car was carjacked with three children in the car. ‘A knife was pulled so the kids and I got out but my car was stolen!’
Police later found the stolen vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and fled. The car was not being chased at the time of the incident.
The owner of the stolen white Isuzu, Bec Alexander (pictured), posted on Facebook at 6.35pm on Thursday that he had been held up at knifepoint: ‘I was carjacked with three kids in the car.’
Police have confirmed that a car involved in the crash (pictured) was allegedly stolen from Gympie at around 4.30pm on Thursday
Detective Superintendent Fadian said: ‘The tragedy is that three people have now died and the impact on their families.’
Queensland Ambulance Service Sunshine Coast acting director Nigel Jones said it was a challenging incident for all emergency services.
‘The scene was obviously quite confrontational due to the processes of the forces involved – it was clearly a very high speed incident involving these vehicles,’ Mr Jones said.
‘So much so that our paramedics reported that two patients had died from their injuries with a third patient, unfortunately, dying shortly afterwards.’
Southbound lanes of the Bruce Highway are expected to be closed for an extended period, and diversions are in place.
Detective Superintendent Fadian described it as a complex investigation and appealed for anyone who saw the stolen Isuzu to contact police.
Det Supt Fadian said: ‘We are appealing to anyone who may have seen the vehicle between 3am and 4am this morning on the Bruce Highway between the Federal and Noosa turn-offs and to contact Crimestoppers.’
The wreckage of a Nissan Navara ute involved in the crash crashed against a barrier
Timeline of the horrific Brisbane crash
Thursday
* 4.30pm: A man armed with a knife takes a mother and her children on a main street in Gympie.
* 5:30pm: Police attempt to intercept a vehicle following reports of erratic driving on the Bruce Highway in Kurra, north of Gympie. The driver fled in the car
* Police refused to initiate a pursuit
* 9.30pm: Alert issued for a white Isuzu MU-X with Queensland registration BEC263
Friday
* 4am: Report of a stolen vehicle attempting to ram a Nissan Navara driven by a 65-year-old man with a 25-year-old female passenger northbound along the Bruce Highway near Federal south of Gympie.
* The Nissan crossed into the southbound lane and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle driven by a 38-year-old woman
* Three people were pronounced dead at the scene
* The driver of the stolen vehicle, a 25-year-old man from Yandina, was taken to hospital with serious head injuries
* Highway closures and vehicle diversions.
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