'They were precious': Mum's tribute to girls, grandparents killed in horror smash

Tributes have been flowing for two little girls and their grandparents who were killed in a horror smash near Crystal Brook on Sunday.

The girl’s devastated mother, Leanne Hamilton-Kinnear, told 7 News her daughters were excited about the school holiday camping trip to the Flinders Ranges.

Willow, 5, and her 10-year-old sister Caitlin were heading on a special adventure with their grandparents, Greg and Rosemary Galatis.

Mrs Hamilton-Kinnear said the four were on their way to Willow Springs, the place little Willow was named after.

It was the girl's first camping trip with their grandparents and their mother said they were excited.

“We said goodbye to them in the morning and we took them over to Nanna and Papou’s with their bags… They were on an adventure,” she told The Advertiser.

Home footage of the two girls, who were described as “beautiful” and “precious”, shows the pair standing together and proudly singing the Little Mermaid’s ‘Part of your World’.

“They were just lovely, they were vibrant, bubbly and adventurous. They loved the outdoors, singing and dancing.”

Tragedy struck when the Subaru station wagon they were travelling in, which was towing a caravan, collided with a truck towing a car trailer on the Augusta Highway near Crystal Brook.

The family home has become a shrine full of emotional tributes with people writing heartfelt notes and dropping off balloons and flowers.

The four family members will be buried together at a funeral in the coming weeks.

Mrs Hamilton-Kinnear also paid tribute to police officers who had the dreadful task of telling the family what had happened.

She told The Advertiser the officers had waited for them to arrive home before breaking the news, and then brought them to pick up their 16-year-old daughter Hannah, who had been due to go on the trip with her grandparents but instead went to visit a friend.

Four people who were travelling in the truck, which was heading home from a drag race meeting in Whyalla, were also injured.

The driver, 52-year-old Gary Tanner remains in a critical condition in the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where his 42-year-old wife Kylie is also being treated.

Two other passengers were taken to Port Pirie Hospital in a stable condition. One of them was released on Sunday.

News break – April 18