A father of six who tragically died in an early morning car crash two days before Father’s Day was traveling to comfort his wife after she lost her father.
Scott Cassidy, 50, was driving alone from his hometown of Townsville to Rockhampton at about 6am on Friday when he hit a thick fog bank and his pickup truck swerved around a bend on a notorious stretch of the Bruce Highway at Canoona.
The grandfather of 11 children died in the accident along with one of the three puppies that were in the car with him.
Mr Cassidy, who ran a concrete company in Queensland with his son Justin, had been travelling to comfort his wife, who had just lost her father three days earlier.
His grieving children now face the double heartbreak of burying their much-loved “dad” and their father in the same week.
Cassidy’s eldest daughter, Angela, said the family was “completely stunned.”
“The glue that holds everything together is gone and we’re just left picking up the pieces. It still doesn’t feel real,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Cassidy, 33, said her father was a much-loved former youth coach at the Norths Devils football club in Thuringowa and was always the life of every party.
Scott Cassidy (pictured), 50, was driving alone from Townsville to Rockhampton at about 6am on Friday when he hit a thick fog bank and his pickup truck veered off a bend on a notorious stretch of the Bruce Highway at Canoona.
The grandfather of 11 died in the crash along with one of three puppies that were in the car with him (pictured: Mr Cassidy with his son Preston)
Mr Cassidy celebrated his 50th birthday the day after his son, Justin,’s wedding in June this year.
“He was a big character, he always had to be the loudest person in the room,” his daughter said.
‘He adored his wife, Renee, loved us children, and was very proud of all his grandchildren. ‘He would do absolutely anything for us, and he did.’
Ms Cassidy, 33, said she last spoke to her father on Wednesday when they met after her grandfather’s death.
The family He launched a GoFundMe because Mr. Cassidy’s concreting business was his only income.
“Unfortunately, the bills keep coming in despite the circumstances, these funds will help ease the financial burden during these difficult times,” the GoFundMe page states.
So far, it has raised nearly $11,000.
Mr Cassidy leaves behind his wife, Renee (the couple are pictured together), their six children, ages 16 to 33, and 11 grandchildren.
Mr Cassidy (pictured) was remembered as “the glue that holds everything together”.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the Forensic Crash Unit was investigating the crash.
“Initial investigations indicate that at approximately 6.20am, a public utility vehicle was travelling on the Bruce Highway (Kunwarara Road) between Atkinson Road and Old Canoona Road when it left the road and crashed,” he said.
‘The driver, a 50-year-old man from Mount Low, was pronounced dead at the scene.’
Witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage are urged to contact police.
