THE floral tributes may already have started to wither, but the scorched earth and blackened tree stumps will serve as a more lasting reminder of the unimaginable horror that unfolded on the Princes Highway last week.
And of course the pain, for many people, will never subside.
The local community is still struggling to come to grips with the tragedy, which claimed four lives – including three of its own.
Truck driver David Carolan, 36, of Narellan Vale and Ulladulla sisters Makeely, 11, and Jordan Bridge, 13, were killed in the accident late last Monday afternoon.
The girls’ father, 47-year-old David Bridge, was pulled from his vehicle and airlifted to a Sydney hospital with burns to more than 80 per cent of his body.
Sadly, he passed away on Sunday, taking the state’s Christmas-New Year road toll to 23.
The girls’ mother, 40-year-old Debbie Bridge, was also airlifted from the accident scene with burns to more than 80 per cent of her body and remains in a critical condition in Concord Hospital.
Relatives have thanked the community for its support.
Police said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash were ongoing and that a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
However it has been confirmed that the southbound fuel tanker crossed onto the wrong side of the road at Termeil before connecting with a Rav4, a Honda Accord and finally the Bridge family’s Subaru.
The truck driver has been described as a loving father and “everyday bloke” who was still celebrating the birth of his third son.
He had started his shift earlier than usual on the day of the accident to cover for a friend.
The Bridges were travelling home from Christmas celebrations at the time of the accident.
Mrs Bridge’s sister, Sheree Montgomery, and brother-in-law, Frank, also of Ulladulla, were following in the car behind.
Rural Fire Service volunteer Blair McDonald who was travelling behind the Montgomerys, said the vehicles had all become bunched behind an L-plater and were just starting to pick up speed again when the accident happened.
He said Mrs Bridge was already out of her vehicle by the time he got there and that he had helped Mr Montgomery pull David Bridge from the burning wreck of the Subaru and extinguish the flames on the back of his clothes.
By the time he got back to the car it was simply too late to save the girls.
Monday’s accident has prompted another outcry over the state of the Princes Highway and the urgent need for an upgrade.
Last week’s crash took the Princes Highway road toll for 2009 to 18.
Emergency services have responded to two more accidents on the same stretch of road in the past week – one of them near the Bawley Point Road intersection last Thursday and the other on Monday afternoon closer to the scene of last week’s tragedy.
Meanwhile, tributes have been flowing for Mr Bridge, who worked at a stainless steel company in Nowra and his daughters. Makeely was a student at Ulladulla Public School while big sister Jordan attended Ulladulla High School.
Both girls were actively involved in the local netball association.
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