The younger sister of a teenage girl killed in a horror car crash on her way to Taylor Swift is “not out of the woods yet” as she recovers in hospital.
Mieka Pokarier, 16, was killed when the SUV she was traveling in with her mother and sister collided with a semi-trailer near Dubbo, in central western NSW, about 6pm on Thursday.
The teen’s 10-year-old sister, Freya, was from flown over the scene on Dunedoo Road in Ballimore and rushed to it Sydney’s Westmead Children’s Hospital is suffering brain injury, a damaged pelvis and a broken leg.
Swift, who played her fourth show in Melbourne on Sunday evening, has been informed of the horror crash, Daily Mail Australia understands.
The girls’ godmother, Karleigh Fox, said Freya would remain in a medically induced coma for several days in an update on a GoFundMe page raising money for the family.
“We have had some thorough discussions with the incredible doctors about the possible prognosis and we are not out of the woods yet with the risks of swelling in the brain and infection still evident,” Ms Fox wrote on Saturday evening.
“This could still be life-threatening.”
She will remain in a coma to give her body “a chance to remain still and hopefully recover as much as possible,” her godmother wrote.
Mrs Fox said the family were preparing for when Freya regained consciousness.
“We’re going to see a lot of fear and sadness for her and potential burnout for mom, because that’s the person who will want our girl the most,” she said.
Ms Fox said the girls’ mother, Kim Litchfield, was “still very sore, bruised and sluggish” but was supporting Freya at her bedside, along with her father Peter Pokarirand.
The younger sister of a teenager who died in a horror crash on the way to Taylor Swift is ‘not out of the woods yet’ and will remain in a coma. Mieka (right) sadly died at the scene while Freya (left) was flown to Westmead Children’s Hospital in a critical condition
Taylor Swift (photo in Melbourne) has been informed of the horror crash, reports 7News
She previously recalled how excited Mieka was to head out on the “trip of a lifetime” to see Swift perform in both Sydney and Melbourne.
“They spent up to eight hours trying to get tickets, they are very dedicated and they were excited to get tickets for both shows in Melbourne and Sydney,” she said.
The tragedy hasn’t really sunk in yet for Mrs. Fox.
‘It feels a bit like Mieka is staying at someone’s house and I think it’s really going to happen to us… when we get home. The reality is that she is not coming back, she said Nine news.
“Then to make it a big vacation, it would be an 11-day road trip to catch up with friends and see the sights.”
Mrs Fox said her ‘bright and creative’ goddaughter had been a Swiftie for a long time.
“She’s been a Taylor Swift fan for over a decade and she loved math, she loved pottery, she was always making things for people with pottery and going to classes,” she said.
‘She was very talented, she was always busy making loom bracelets and friendship bracelets.’
Swift’s fans, known as Swifties, trade homemade bracelets with each other
Many now make them in honor of Mieka, with her name on it.
Ms Fox added that Mieka and Freya were ‘superfans’ of Swift.
“We’ve had Taylor on repeat for the last ten years. How her music just changed these girls, made them stronger, gave them confidence, gave them hope, especially in Covid times, they were really tough times for kids.”
Mieka had been listening to Swift’s music when tragedy struck as the family drove from Queensland to Melbourne to see Swift on the Australian leg of her Eras tour.
The screen of Mieka’s iPad, which was eerily unscathed in the crash, showed her playing Swift’s song All of the Girls You Loved Before moments before she died.
‘When we opened the iPad it was heartbreaking. Mieka’s cat’s name is Mr Perfectly Fine, a Taylor song,” said Mrs Fox.
The song Mieka had been listening to as part of her playlist for the trip was recorded during sessions for Swift’s 2019 album Lover, but wasn’t released until March 2023 to coincide with the global launch of the tour that Mieka was so looking forward to.
Swift fans, known as Swifties, trade homemade bracelets with each other, and many are now making them in honor of Mieka, with her name on them (pictured)
Mieka Pokarier, 16, was traveling with her mother and younger sister from the Gold Coast to Melbourne to see Taylor Swift in concert when their SUV collided with a truck
Frozen on Mieka’s iPad screen, which remained unscathed, was the last song she had listened to: Swift’s song All of the Girls You Loved Before
Ms Litchfield, who was driving the SUV, suffered several injuries in the crash and was taken to Dubbo Hospital.
The driver of the semi-trailer suffered minor injuries and was also taken to Dubbo Hospital in a stable condition.
Mrs Litchfield has been released from hospital and has also made the final cut to Sydney to ‘be reunited with her baby’.
“We play her favorite 1989 Taylor Swift album Taylor’s Version on repeat in her room and tell her about the merchandise we see people buying online,” Ms. Fox posted online.
‘It will take five people to roll her to check for any spots that could lead to bedsores as she is in the same position during her induced coma.’
Ms Fox said the family had difficulty “navigating even just learning the layout of the hospital, dealing with the complex trauma to our little one’s organs and coming to terms with the profound loss of our 16-year-old ‘.
The sisters’ godmother, Karleigh Fox, said she traveled to Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney with the girls’ mother and father and was by Freya’s side.
The family were on the ‘trip of a lifetime’ to see Swift in Melbourne (pictured) and Sydney and had spent hours refreshing the ticket purchase page
Emergency services are expected to attend the scene of the accident near Dubbo on Thursday
Mieka was probably in the front passenger seat when the accident occurred.
On Saturday, Mieka and Freya’s father, Peter Pokarier, shared his grief on Facebook.
“That’s my baby that died,” he wrote.
The Gold Coast family were heading to Melbourne for the sold-out Swift concert at the MCG.
The pop superstar kicked off the Australian leg of her Eras tour in Melbourne on Friday evening with around 96,000 in attendance.
a GoFundMe The page set up Friday to raise money for the shattered family raised more than $50,000 as of Sunday evening.
Mr Pokarier, the girl’s father, also shared a link to GoFundMe. He said his family is “what I live for, I’m devastated.”
Tributes also poured in from friends on social media.
Cheyenne Craig remembered how Mieka learned to drive. “How is it fair that someone as sweet and beautiful as you was taken from us so quickly,” she wrote on social media.
‘Mieka was the sweetest, most down-to-earth person you could ever know, her stupid jokes that always made no sense but somehow always made you laugh… and the way we talked about each other all day talked. concerts.’
Ms Fox said the family is “amazed by the support”. A lot of Swifties (are) checking in and sending beautiful messages of love… we are really overwhelmed.”
She added: ‘The messages… will be read by the family when they are ready.’
Thick black smoke rose from the highway where the SUV and truck collided
Her younger sister Freya was taken to Westmead Hospital in Sydney by paramedics
Swift is in Australia for her Eras tour and played her fourth night at the MCG on Sunday
The sisters had been part of the Gold Coast Youth Theater Academy.
Simone Medland also said that Mieka had a passion for music and concerts.
‘I was so happy to see you living happily and going to concerts. You deserved to be happy and there are so many people who care about you,” she said.
“I wouldn’t trade the last few years I had with you for the world and I wish I could just see you again. We had so many plans for things to do together and it will always be my biggest regret that we never got the chance to do that.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner.