Douglas Park crash: Woman dies after becoming trapped in burning ute
Douglas Park crash: Woman dies after being trapped in burning ute
A woman has died after being trapped in the back of a burning ute following a horrific crash.
Sela Maumalanga was a passenger in the car when it collided with a crew cab vehicle on Menangle Road near Douglas Park, in Sydney’s south-west, at 4.20am a week ago.
Her uncle Peni Tu Itupou struggled out of the car with the help of witnesses and was taken to hospital with ‘significant injuries’.
But damage to the car prevented people on the scene from freeing Ms Maumalanga.
The car caught fire and Ms Maumalanga, 37, died in the vehicle.
Heartbreaking tributes are pouring in on social media for the ‘humble and loving’ victim of the fatal head-on collision between two people in Sydney’s south-west on September 11
Sela Maumalanga died after she became trapped in the back seat of her uncle’s burning car after it collided with another double cab vehicle on Menangle Road at 4.20am a week ago. In the photo: the aftermath of the crash
The other driver, the sole occupant of his vehicle, suffered only arm injuries.
Mrs Maumalanga was an admired and loved member of the Tongan community in Sydney, who were shocked by her sudden death.
“Sissy, I’m so sorry no one could get you out. I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” a loved one wrote on Facebook.
“Wake up sis, I don’t want to let you go,” she wrote.
“You never changed,” another added.
‘So humble and loving with a pure heart of gold. Your smile and laughter were so infectious, you made everyone feel loved.”
“The beautiful moments you shared with us will never be forgotten,” wrote a third.
“Your countless acts of kindness, always giving and never expecting a favor in return.”
Friends also contributed to the tributes as they came to terms with the shock death.
“Fly high beautiful,” one person wrote.
Mrs Maumalanga’s family-oriented nature was evident in the many tributes.
“No matter how busy we were with our own family, you always kept an eye on us,” someone wrote.
“She always checked on me and the kids. A beautiful soul taken too soon,” said another friend.
Mrs Maumalanga was an admired and loved member of the Tongan community in Sydney, who were shocked by her sudden death
“Thank you for being the only one who always kept an eye on my kids,” a third wrote.
a GoFundMe has since launched with $7,565 raised in four days.
“She was a ray of positivity and she will be missed by everyone,” it said.
NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the cause of the crash was under investigation.