Legacy Way Tunnel crash: Emma had the world at her feet when tragedy struck. Now her family share the grim battle she faces after horror crash that also claimed the life of her best friend

The family of the sole survivor of a horror highway tunnel crash have opened up about the marathon recovery their daughter faced just when she was in the prime of her life, and their move to the highway to to be by her side.

Emma McLean, 23, was driving a silver Mazda sedan to attend a wedding in the Legacy Way Tunnel in Brisbane on May 1 at 3:10 p.m. when an ex-police officer driving an Audi convertible sped hit her car from behind at 200 km/h.

The sedan then crashed into a truck, causing a horror multi-vehicle accident near the entrance to the main road.

Ms McLean suffered broken arms, a shattered pelvis and a severe traumatic brain injury, and was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.

Her best friend and nurse at Flinders Private Hospital in South Australia, 24-year-old Lily Galbraith, was a passenger in Ms McLean’s car and was killed in the crash.

Former police officer Bruce Daley, 56, who was driving the black Audi, was also killed, while the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries.

Ms McLean’s parents, Lisa and Peter, have shared details of their daughter’s slow recovery and how they moved to Brisbane to be by their daughter’s side.

The family is packing up their homes in Sydney and Adelaide for a permanent move to Brisbane.

However, due to Brisbane’s historically tight rental market, they are struggling to find a property close to the hospital that can also meet their daughter’s needs.

‘Our world has just come to a standstill. I was at a staff meeting. I literally got up and walked out and haven’t been back,” Ms McLean said The courier post.

“It’s crazy that we can just go on with our lives, and suddenly everything changes and we have to take our lives to the next level.”

Ms McLean spent 12 days in an induced coma, suffering serious injuries including the need to have her spleen removed.

The 23-year-old has to learn to walk, eat, swallow, hold a pencil and write again after suffering a serious brain injury. Unfortunately, she doesn’t remember her loved ones yet either.

“She has a severe traumatic brain injury. Her body can heal, her bones can be fixed. But as far as her head goes, we just don’t know,” Ms McLean said.

‘They really can’t give us any answers. That’s the hardest part: no one can give us the right answers. It’s just heartbreaking. She was in the prime of her life.”

Mr McLean said the crash shattered their “hearts into a million pieces” as he believes his daughter recognizes them but does not remember them.

Just three weeks before the crash, Ms McLean’s long-term boyfriend Harry Perez proposed and the couple had already started planning their wedding.

Mr Perez has also moved to Brisbane to be with the family and his fiancée during her long road to recovery.

Ms McLean had one more year of her marketing and communications studies at university to complete.

Her parents said she loved her job in Adelaide, where her best friend Ms Galbraith also lived.

She doesn’t know that her best friend has died.

The pair had been best friends since they met at school in Darwin in Year 7 and were inseparable. They often celebrated life’s big milestones together, such as birthdays, formal occasions and graduations.

Ms McLean and Ms Galbraith were traveling from Adelaide to Brisbane and were on their way to a high school friend’s wedding when the car they were in was hit.

Her parents hope their daughter will be transferred to the hospital’s Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service next week where she can begin her rehabilitation.

Doctors have said Ms McLean could remain in and out of hospital for the next two to three years.

Ms McLean’s boss at ScreenAway Australia, Dan O’Rourke, started one GoFundMe to raise money for her recovery, family and any future medical expenses.

“Our ScreenAway Australia team is shocked and saddened to learn of the horrific car accident involving one of our close team members, Emma McLean,” Mr O’Rourke wrote.

‘Emma is a smart, bubbly and beautiful young woman who loves nothing more than the simple things in life, like camping, going to the beach and paddle boarding.

“Emma’s smile lights up the room and she makes friends with everyone who crosses her path. She loves nothing more than making memories with her loved ones.

“She is a valued member of our team and we would appreciate your help and support for Emma in her time of need.”

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has received 555 donations totaling $41,791 and has a goal of raising $50,000.