Everard Central crash: Father dies a week after his wife and daughter died in horror smash
A tragic accident on a rural road has claimed the life of a third family member.
Cynthia Clarke, 84, and her daughter Jacquie, 54, were killed when a van collided with their Honda Civic at the intersection of Templeton Rd and Blyth Rd near Everard Central in the state’s mid-afternoon on the late afternoon of 31 October.
Husband and father John Clarke, 86, was in the back of the Honda and suffered serious injuries in the crash.
Paramedics took him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment, but police confirmed he died from his injuries on Monday.
Everard Central car crash victim John Clarke died on November 6
Mrs Clarke, a retired nurse, and John were both much-loved patrons of Snowtown Golf Club before the couple moved to Clare.
Jacquie lived in Jamestown, a 50-minute drive from Clare.
Before Clarke’s death on Monday, police had charged the van driver, a 28-year-old man, with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on January 17, 2024.
The crash occurred on October 31 in regional South Australia. Photo: 7NEWS
A passenger in the van, a 26-year-old passenger, was seriously injured in the crash.
South Australia Police Chief Inspector Darren Fielke said after the crash that the deaths would rock the respective communities.
“Fatalities in regional communities have a very long-lasting impact because of the way these communities are structured,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Paramedics took Mr Clarke and a 26-year-old woman to hospital for further treatment after the crash. Image: 7NEWS
‘Losing two members of a family is unfathomable. It will upset some people.”
Photos from the scene show a van on its side and a massive emergency response effort, including multiple ambulance units and a rescue helicopter.
Police closed Templeton Rd for several hours before reopening it overnight.
Mr Clarke’s death marks the 97th fatality on South Australian roads this year, compared to 60 in the same period last year.