On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, best friends from Adelaide Emma McLean and Lily Galbraith, were on their way to a wedding in Brisbane.
It was just after 3pm when they entered the Legacy Way Tunnel at Mount Coot-tha.
23-year-old Emma was behind the wheel, while Lily, 24, was in the passenger seat when their Mazda 3 was struck by a black Audi which caused them to crash into a small truck.
Lily — an intensive care nurse — was killed on impact. So was the driver of the Audi, former police officer Bruce Daley, 56.
The driver of the truck suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive, while Emma was rushed to hospital with a shattered pelvis and broken arms. She underwent emergency surgery that night.
Watch: Friends are rallying around the women's families.
As of the weekend, she was still in a coma with a colleague from her workplace ScreenAway Australia writing in a GoFundMe, "Emma faces a long road ahead and we want to do everything to assist in her recovery".
Her fiance Harry proposed to her just three weeks ago. "You and me forever," she'd posted under a video of the moment on social media.
Lily's boyfriend also had plans to propose. Now he is demanding answers.
"I just didn't believe it, I know no one believed it. I just couldn't stop thinking about all the stuff we did together and praying it was gonna be ok," he told 9News.
On Facebook, he wrote an emotional and loving tribute to his "future wife".
"To the love of my life Lily," it began.
"You are the most beautiful girl in every way. There was never a day when you weren’t enjoying life and lifting the people around you up.
"You came into my life when I needed you most and you made me the happiest man in the world. Every day we spent together was full of laughter and smiles. You have the biggest heart and an even bigger smile."
He reminisced on cooking meals and brushing their teeth together and "the feeling of your leg on mine as we slept".
"I will always remember dancing in our kitchen together every night and the shuffle you would always do because you knew it made me laugh... So baby girl this isn’t goodbye this is just until next time. Save me a dance up there."
Queensland Police are looking for witnesses of the crash who can describe the "driving manner" of the Audi in the moments before the collision. Allegedly, reports the Courier-Mail, the former cop was driving in excess of 200km/h at the time.
Witnesses told the publication they saw the Audi slow down and then stop as it entered the tunnel, before the car went "roaring" past seconds later.
Regional Duty Officer Acting Inspector Stephen Crabbe confirmed the crash was "extensive" and "spread out for several hundred metres". Photos show the Audi squashed against the tunnel wall.
Bruce medically retired from the Queensland Police Service in December 2014. His daughter told 7News, she was supposed to be with him in the car at the time of the crash and he was on the phone to her mother moments before. He was supposed to be travelling to Thailand to be with her on Friday.
Crabbe said the investigation was not a criminal one, but would be conducted by forensic crash investigators who would hand their findings to the coroner. Speed will be a focus of the investigation.
On Thursday, the Nurses and Midwives Memorial Page Australia posted a tribute to the pair.
"Rest in Peace Lily. Thank you for your service. Condolences to your family and friends.
"All the very best for Emma and sending love to her family as they wait to see how her progress is.
"We are also thinking of the bridegroom and any wedding guests also mourning," it read.
"We are very hopeful for her recovery and while the family are devastated and heartbroken by the recent events, they take solace in the overwhelming support from loved ones and the community," Emma's parents Peter and Lisa said in a statement.
At the time of writing $24,000 has been raised for their daughter's medical costs.
"Emma is a bright, bubbly and beautiful young woman who enjoys nothing more than the simple things in life such as camping, going to the beach and paddleboarding. Emma’s smile lights up the room and she makes friends with all who cross her path, she enjoys nothing more than making memories with her nearest and dearest," her GoFundMe reads.
A GoFundMe set up for Lily's family has so far raised close to $34,000 with her colleague writing, "I was lucky enough to manage Lily in her job as a registered nurse in ICU.
"But Lily was so much more than a nurse; she was a daughter, sister, girlfriend, friend, shining light, and inspiration to many.
"Nothing can prepare those left behind after such a sudden and tragic loss and those of us who knew Lily are searching for any way possible to make the lives of her family, boyfriend and closest friends a little more bearable."
You can find Emma's GoFundMe here.
You can find Lily's here.
Investigations into the crash continue. Please contact police if you have any vision or information regarding the crash.
Feature image: Instagram.