The teenager killed by a runaway bus during the evening rush hour in Brisbane’s CBD has been remembered by loved ones with broken hearts.
Tia Cameron, 18, had just finished getting her eyelashes done at a nearby salon and was on her way to have a cocktail with her aunt when the bus entered a trail and hit her at the corner of Ann and Edward streets in Brisbane on Friday night. .
She died at the scene.
Family and friends mourned the loss of the vivacious teenager who they said had “stolen” us.
Tia’s mother, Jade Te Awhitu, said the loss was devastating.
“She was only 18 and had her whole life ahead of her,” Mrs Te Awhitu told the mail.
‘She was beautiful, outgoing and unique, truly unique. She loved the beach, the Gold Coast, fashion and taking care of her partner’s puppies and dogs. “She was very close to her entire family.”
Cameran’s devastated aunt Karma Te Awhitu said: “We feel like she has been stolen from us.”
The bus had just turned onto Edward St from Ann St during the Friday afternoon rush hour when it appears the driver lost control and veered onto the footpath.
Ms Cameron was reportedly facing the wall of a building in Anzac Square when she was struck from behind and pinned against the wall of the structure.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, she died at the scene.
Tia Cameron has been identified as the 18-year-old victim of a bus that climbed a footpath and crashed into pedestrians in central Brisbane.
The 18-year-old woman had just left a beauty salon after getting her eyelashes done when the Brisbane CBD bus pinned her against the wall of a building on Edward St, mounted the curb and hit her from behind.
The bus had just turned onto Edward St from Ann St during the Friday afternoon rush hour when it appears the driver lost control and veered onto the footpath.
Ms Cameron attended Ferny Grove State High but left at 16 to work in the beauty industry before landing a job in administration at the city’s prestigious Brisbane Club.
Ms Te Awhitu said while her daughter loved that job, her interest was in beauty and cosmetics.
She had been dating her boyfriend Hayden since she was 14 years old.
“He’s not very good, but he holds his own; we all support each other,” Te Awhitu said.
“I think we’re all in shock.”
Flowers had already been left at the scene of the accident on Saturday.
Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner visited the scene on Saturday morning and said investigations into the cause of the tragedy were ongoing.
“It was a Friday afternoon. And like any other Friday night, people think about the next weekend, about returning from work, about walking through the streets of the city. “It’s not something anyone would expect to happen at any time, let alone on a Friday night,” Schrinner said.
“What happened was a tragedy that resulted in the loss of a young life. Right now, many of those questions we have are unanswered, but I want to assure the people of Brisbane that we will find the answers.
“Each of those questions will have an answer. Now we know that the police are working on this, we are helping them in any way possible. A variety of camera images have been provided, including images from traffic cameras and the bus itself.
“Every effort is being made to find and provide those answers. I want the people of Brisbane to know and I particularly want this young woman’s family and friends to know that Brisbane is a city that is with you now.
“This is a time to remember that we are part of a community and to be kind to each other and support each other.”
Nine people traveling on the bus were also treated by paramedics, and five were transported to hospital, including the driver, with minor injuries after they were thrown from their seats during the collision.
The incident caused chaos near the crash site at the intersection of Edward and Adelaide streets, not far from Brisbane Central Train Station, with pedestrians fleeing the crash site and diverting rush-hour traffic.
W.Witnesses described hearing the bus hit a light pole before crashing into the sidewalk and seeing “bricks flying,” according to the Courier Mail.
Minh Phan, the owner of the salon the victim visited before the tragedy, left flowers at the scene on Saturday morning.
“I am very saddened to know what has happened,” Ms Phan told waiting media. “And I feel so sorry for her family.”
Queensland Premier Steven Miles sent a message to X to offer his condolences to the young woman’s family.
“Saddened to hear the news that a woman has died after a bus was involved in a serious accident in the Brisbane CBD this afternoon,” he posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The incident caused chaos near the crash site at the intersection of Edward and Adelaide streets, with pedestrians fleeing the crash site and diverting rush-hour traffic.
Police investigations into the cause of the tragic accident are ongoing.