Sam Kerr has flown home to Perth with her parents Roger and Roxanne following news that her grandmother is in a critical condition following an accident.
The Matildas captain, 31, arrived at Sydney’s domestic airport on Saturday morning to catch a flight back to Perth where she would be at the hospital bedside of her grandmother Coral Kerr.
Coral, 89, was getting off a bus in the southwestern suburb of Palmyra around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when a motorist reportedly crashed into a utility pole, hitting her.
She is fighting for her life in hospital after the shocking incident, which took place just meters from her home in Perth, with Sam and her parents all flying back to support her.
Sam stepped out at the airport looking glum as she said goodbye to her pregnant fiancé Kristie Mewis, 33, who didn’t appear to be traveling with the Kerr family.
Sam kept a low profile in a black T-shirt and green shorts, which she wore with a black hoodie as she arrived for her flight.
Sam Kerr flew home to Perth with her parents Roger and Roxanne following news that her grandmother is in a critical condition after being hit in an accident.
Coral, 89, was getting off a bus in the southwestern suburb of Palmyra at around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when a motorist allegedly hit her.
Sam stepped out at the airport looking glum as she said goodbye to her fiancé Kristie Mewis, 33, who didn’t appear to be traveling with the Kerrs.
Sam’s parents Roger and Roxanne shared tight hugs with her partner Kristie as she rallied to support the family during this difficult time.
Sam and her parents put on a united display as they traveled back to Perth together to be with Coral, Sam’s paternal grandmother.
On Friday evening, Coral was said to be in a serious but stable condition, a hospital spokesperson said Western Australian.
Photos from the scene in Palmyra showed the ute had extensive damage to the bonnet after the vehicle reportedly struck a utility pole before Coral was downed.
Coral’s neighbors and bus passengers who witnessed the crash rushed to help her as she lay on the lawn next to the sidewalk.
“She wasn’t really reacting much, she was very sweaty and clammy… I think she was obviously in shock,” neighbor Mary Ivey told 9News.
Witnesses claimed that there were cars behind the bus and that the driver had tried to overtake him.
A 63-year-old man from Willagee has been charged with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.
And the Matildas captain, 31, arrived at Sydney’s domestic airport on Saturday morning to catch a flight back to Perth where she would be at her grandmother Coral Kerr’s hospital bedside.
Sam’s parents Roger and Roxanne shared tight hugs with Kristie as she rallied to support the family during this difficult time.
Sam cut a low profile in a black T-shirt and green shorts, which she wore with a black hoodie as she arrived for her flight
Sam’s dad Roger looked somber as he arrived at the airport with his family following his beloved mother’s hospital stay
Sam and her parents were all seen rallying to support each other as they arrived at the airport for their flight
Sam’s partner Kristie showed her support for the family as she hugged Roxanne as she said goodbye at the airport
Kristie, who is pregnant with her and Sam’s first child, cuts a casual figure in black shorts and a gray hoodie
Although she didn’t appear to be traveling with them, Kristie showed her support for Roger as she affectionately gave him a hug
She was also seen helping Roger with his suitcase as she rallied to support Sam’s family
He will appear in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on February 4.
Sam and her parents were at Krinklewood Estate winery in the Hunter Valley at the time, attending the wedding of Sam’s Matildas teammate Emily Van Egmond to her partner Kat Thompson.
It is understood they learned of the tragedy at the reception, with Roger hastily organizing a flight back to Perth to be at his mother’s bedside.
Chelsea striker Sam and her partner Kristie, who is from the US, both spent time with Sam’s family in Perth over the Christmas period.
The couple announced a few weeks earlier in November that they were expecting their first child together, with Kristie showing off her baby bump in recent weeks.
Sam and Kristie started dating during the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where they were seen on the field together after a match between Australia and the United States.
It is understood the couple first met when they were both competing for clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League in the US in 2019.
They had been speaking online for almost four months during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, with the pair also believed to have spent two weeks together in lockdown.
Sam was seen kissing Kristie on the cheek as they said goodbye before the flight
Sam was seen watching as Kristie and her mother Roxanne shared a sweet moment
Kristie was seen saying kind words to the family as they all spoke outside the airport before the flight
Sam looked glum on the outing as they all prepared to fly back to Perth to gather around Coral
Sam had been at a Matildas teammate’s wedding with her father Roger (both pictured) when she heard about the crash in Perth
They publicly confirmed their relationship in August 2021 via an Instagram post and announced their engagement in November 2023.
Just a month after getting engaged, Massachusetts native Kristie signed with West Ham United and moved to London to be closer to Sam.
But Sam has been sidelined since December last year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a training camp with the south-west London club.
She was forced to undergo surgery and enter a period of rehabilitation, ruling her out of the remainder of the 2023–2024 season.