Filipino migrant Reymark Recalde killed in horror car crash less than three weeks after moving to Australia after a truck crashed into a car in Mildura, Victoria
A Filipino immigrant who moved to Australia in search of a better life was sadly killed when his van collided with a truck at a notorious intersection in rural Victoria.
Reymark Recalde was killed when the Toyota Tarago he was traveling in with friends collided with a semi-trailer at the intersection of Deakin Ave and Sixteenth St in Mildura, in the state’s northeast, about 12.45pm on December 18.
One other person was seriously injured in the crash and has since recovered, while two others suffered minor injuries and the truck driver was uninjured.
The intersection is known to locals as dangerous as it is the main road bringing traffic into Mildura from Adelaide and the towns of Lake Cullulleraine and Merbein. A number of previous accidents have been reported at the location.
Mr Recalde had arrived in Australia only a few weeks earlier, on November 29, with the intention of moving permanently after being impressed by the country when he visited during his career as a seaman on a cargo ship.
Reymark Recalde died tragically after being involved in a car accident weeks after moving to Australia
The crash took place at a notorious intersection in Mildura that locals have been campaigning for for years. A photo of the site shows two intersections next to each other
Mildura Mayor Liam Wood said Mildura City Council has been fighting with the State Government through VicRoads for five years to get funding to upgrade the junction.
An extended family member of Mr Recalde, who lives in Queensland, has a GoFundMe he asked for financial support for his parents in Quezon Province in the Philippines.
“Reymark took it upon himself to care for his parents by working as a sailor for the past seven years,” she said.
‘He said cheerfully to one of my aunts that of all the countries where the shipping company he works for is docked, he liked Australia the best.
‘Equipped with determination and hope, he decided to explore Australia with the opportunity to call this beautiful country his home.
“His dream was to give his parents a comfortable life in their prime and repay them for all the sacrifices they made.
‘For reasons difficult for everyone to understand, the van in which he was traveling with his new acquaintances was involved in an accident less than three weeks into Australia.’
She added that the family was devastated by Mr Reymark’s death and was still working to repatriate his body to the Philippines and give him a proper burial.
“We hope that in the next two weeks he will finally be with his family,” she said on Saturday.
Another accident occurred at the intersection of Deakin Ave and Sixteenth St this weekend, which fortunately was not fatal.
A local petition demanding action from VicRoads has been signed by more than 500 people.