The wife of a truck driver, one of three killed in a head on collision along South Australia’s Eyre Hwy, said her family has been left “shaken” by the sudden passing of the 45-year-old man.
Three died at the scene of the crash on the Eyre Hwy, about 27km west of Yalata, on the edge of the Nullarbor, about 6.45am on Thursday.
Motorists said they could do nothing but watch as the trucks burst into flames, closing the highway for a number of hours.
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Ramandeep Singh Bhatti, the wife of Yadwinder Singh Bhatti, said she has been left “shaken” by the loss of her husband.
The Victorian woman has set up a GoFundMe that’s so far raised almost $50,000.
Bhatti said her family now has to come to terms with making ends meet without her husband.
“His sudden loss has showed us how important it is to cherish and enjoy every, single moment, every second, just like he did, and I hope that it teaches us how to keep the memories of those around us whom we love most alive forever,” she wrote on the fundraiser.
“His smile, gentle nature, goofiness and love will be remembered after the end of time. Love you.
“We’ve been left unprepared and unable to look into the future with five mouths to feed.”
A separate fundraiser has been created for Neville Mugridge, 77, of Smithfield, that’s raised almost $32,000.
Mugridge, affectionately known as Slim, was known to colleagues as a “legend” of the trucking industry, having been a driver for about 50-years.
South Australia Police said a 25-year-old man from New South Wales was also killed in the crash.
They are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident.