Two Victorian teenagers have been killed during a road trip to Queensland.
Brandon Christopoulos and Jesse Edwards, both 19, were driving through northwestern NSW on Saturday 26 December along with their three friends and plans to spend New Years Eve on the Gold Coast and relive their schoolies experience.
But less than 12 hours into their trip on early Sunday morning, the footballers from local clubs in Hoppers Crossing and Werribee, came off the Newell Highway, their car hitting a tree near Narrabri just west of Tamworth.
Along with the two tragic deaths, another passenger Damien McKenzie was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, while the other two sustained injuries.
Both Brandon and Jesse have had their lives tragically cut short too soon.
Brandon, the youngest in a family of five and the only son, was a talented footballer and aspiring carpenter, successfully approved for an apprenticeship just before Christmas to follow his dream.
Described as a kind-hearted and funny young man, in an interview with Fairfax Media his eldest sister Rhiannon Stephens recalled her brother’s positive nature.
“He would not say a bad word about anybody. Regardless of what was going on, he just turned everything into a joke so people would laugh and smile with him,” she said.
With the family naturally still in shock, she said “I think we still feel that he’s just away, and that any minute he’s just going to walk through the door.”
According to NSW Police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, the accident has partly been attributed to fatigue, as the boys had been taking turns to drive.
“The fourth driver in the sequence had been driving for two hours, obviously fell asleep fatigued, rolled the vehicle and killed himself and the other passenger in the front seat,” said the commissioner.
An impromptu memorial was held last Monday for the families of Brandon and Jesse, with hundreds turning out to leave tributes and flowers in memory of the young men.
Source: The Age, Geelong Advertiser