British backpacker killed in car crash on gap year in Australia
A British backpacker has been killed in a car crash during her gap year in Australia.
Jade Fox, 22, from Maidstone in Kent, was travelling in Fraser Island, Queensland, when the four-wheel drive she was a passenger in overturned.
She suffered fatal head injuries when the 4x4 flipped over at 2pm local time on Friday 31 October, reports the Metro.
There were seven other people in the car, who received minor injuries, with two German tourist being flown by helicopter to Hervey Bay hospital.
Speaking to ABC, CareFlight pilot Aaron Regan said police and paramedics were on the scene when they arrived.
"It wasn't a nice incident to go to and obviously one of them has lost their lives.
"Hopefully the other seven recover."
David Anderson, a Fraser Island resident, said he attempted to resuscitate Jade but it was apparent she had died.
According to Sky News, he said: "Two companions of the girl who died were visibly upset.
"They had six months to go on their Australian trip and they were saying they wanted to go home. They were just too upset to go on anymore."
Jade was travelling in one of three four-wheel drives all on a tag-along tour of Fraser Island operated by Rainbow Beach Adventure Company.
A tag-along tour sees cars driven by backpackers following a lead car operated by an experienced tour guide.
The tag-along tours, usually involving up to four four-wheel-drives, were called into question by eco-tourism operator Wade Batty last year.
He questioned whether they were receiving the same checks required of other commercial operators and, according to The Courier Mail, received a government reply saying operator accreditation and driver authorisation only applied to the lead vehicle and not to any self-driven vehicles.
According to the Courier Mail, it is believed Jade was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Jade had spent the previous three months on Australia's east coast as part of a gap year with a group of friends.
Tributes have poured in for Ms Fox, with Debbie Louise writing: "RIP to a beautiful girl who had her whole life ahead of her. God gained an angel."
Ross Grant tweeted: "RIP to Jade Fox. Poor girl. Crazy to think I saw her group leave the hostel to do the tour and was on the island when it happened. So sad."
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