Youngest Queensland crash victim had just told dad he loved him for the first time
Ten days before his tragic death in a fiery Queensland highway crash that also killed his mum and three siblings, the youngest victim told his dad he loved him for the first time.
Charmaine Harris McLeod, 35, and her children Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4, and Zaidok, 2, died after their station wagon slammed into an oncoming truck south of Kingaroy on Monday night.
The children's distraught father James McLeod, estranged from his wife, has described his last visit with his kids, who he says were beautiful souls and were loved by everyone who knew them.
He told the Courier Mail on Wednesday his youngest son Zaidok had said he loved him for the first time only recently.
"Young Zaidok – he was just a little adventurer. A loving and kind kid," Mr McLeod told the newspaper.
"The last supervised visitation I had with them, not last Saturday but the Saturday beforehand, he actually said that he loves me, daddy, to me. Just out of the blue.
"He was developing well and he was loved by all. Such an amazing little boy.
"They were beautiful, intelligent, bright, smart kids."
Paramedics had to fight their way through flames and smoke to reach the vehicle, which was set ablaze along with the truck.
They managed to pull out one of the girls who'd suffered horrific burns, but there was nothing they could do to save the others who died at the scene.
The girl pulled from the car made it to hospital but died while on a rescue flight bound for Brisbane.
The truck driver was injured but managed to free himself as the blaze spread to surrounding grass.
Police believe the children's mum was trying to overtake when her car slammed head-on into the truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
On Wednesday, police were calling for any witnesses who might have seen the accident or have dashcam footage to help them piece together exactly what happened.
Forensic testing was also underway to formally identify the family.
"I just wish this wasn't true," Libby Fox wrote on the GoFundMe page for funeral expenses that had hit $8000 following donations by 239 people on Wednesday afternoon.
"My deepest sympathy and condolences for the loss of a beautiful mum and her four angel children," she wrote.
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