The heartbroken boyfriend of a teenage girl killed by a bus that hit a pavement as she left a beauty salon appointment has revealed the last message he sent her.
Tia Cameron, 18, had just finished getting her eyelashes done in Brisbane’s CBD around 5pm on March 8 when the bus allegedly left the road and fatally pinned her against the wall of a building. .
Three months on, her devastated boyfriend Hayden McKinlay has mustered the courage to finally talk about her death.
The high school sweethearts were planning their future together when tragedy struck.
She said she received a video message from Ms Cameron showing off her new eyelashes just before she left the salon and headed out.
“Our last phone call was ‘I love you and I’ll see you soon,'” he said.
Three months later, Tia Cameron’s boyfriend Hayden McKinlay (pictured together) finally worked up the courage to finally speak out about her death.
The bus had just turned onto Edward St from Ann St during the Friday afternoon rush hour when the driver allegedly lost control and veered onto the sidewalk.
McKinlay said that even months later he has a hard time believing that the woman he had been dating since he was a teenager wasn’t going to suddenly reappear.
‘We had planned a lot together, traveling, buying our first house, having children. “It was all there until this happened,” Mr McKinlay said. 9NEWS.
‘I still think that I’m still going to hear from her, I’m still going to see her, the truth is that it’s not going to happen.’
Following extensive investigations by the Forensic Accident Unit, 70-year-old Linday Selby was charged on Monday with one count of careless driving causing death.
Four passengers and the driver were taken to hospital after suffering minor injuries.
The bus driver is expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 26.
“He hasn’t contacted any of us to apologize or anything that’s really disturbing,” McKinlay said.
When asked why he hadn’t reached out, Selby said: “Listen mate, this is a very difficult situation for me.” There is more than one victim and that is all I have to say about it.’
Tia Cameron (pictured) had just finished getting her eyelashes done at a beauty salon in Brisbane when a bus allegedly drove onto the footpath and killed her on March 8.
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.
He tragically died at the scene, despite the best efforts of the emergency services.
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.
At the time of the incident, District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Steve Watterson described the scene as “horrendous.”
Cameron’s family also mourned the loss of the lively teenager who they said had “stolen” from us.
His mother, Jade Te Awhitu, said the loss was devastating.
“He was only 18 years old and had his whole life ahead of him,” he said.
‘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.”
Cameron’s devastated aunt Karma Te Awhitu said: “We feel like she has been stolen from us.”
Mckinlay said she received a video message from Cameron (pictured) showing off her new lashes just before leaving the salon.
“She texted me at 4pm to tell me she was getting her eyelashes done and ask if I wanted to grab a quick cocktail before heading home,” she said.
‘When I hadn’t heard from her and her partner hadn’t heard from her either, we realized she was missing and started looking for her.
“I was calling the hospital and Hayden was calling the police and she even went to the police station to file a missing person report, because it was so out of character for her.”
At Mrs Cameron’s emotional funeral, tThe aunt said she would miss her niece’s laugh, her “questionable” sense of humor and her “sillyness.”
‘You had plans to study and continue your education. You had plans to travel. You always talked about being a mother, even from a very young age and I knew that one day you would be an amazing mother.’
A 70-year-old man has been charged over a fatal crash that killed an 18-year-old in March.
Mr Mckinlay’s mother, Christine Melrose, has created a GoFundMe page for Mrs. Cameron’s family.
Ms Cameron attended Ferny Grove State High, but left school at age 16 to work in the beauty industry.
He landed a management job at the city’s prestigious Brisbane Club.
Ms Te Awhitu said while her daughter loved that job, her interest was in beauty and cosmetics.
