Elle UNDERHILL
Elle UNDERHILL – 4 y.o. daughter to Sgt Steve UNDERHILL
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ?
Rank: ?
Stations: ?, Casino
Service: From ? to ?
Born: ?
Died on: Friday 18 December 2015
Cause: Passenger – Motor vehicle collision
Age: 4
Funeral date: ?TBA
Funeral location: ?TBA
Buried at: ?
Memorial at: ?
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Funeral location: ?TBA
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FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
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$11,000 raised in 21 hours for crash victims family
AN online fundraising campaign for the Underhill family, who lost their four-year-old daughter in an horrific crash on the Bruxner Highway, has raised more than $11,000 in less than a day.
About 1.20pm on Friday a red Mazda 323 was travelling west on the Bruxner Highway, about 10km east of Casino, when it collided with a white Subaru Liberty.
As a result of the collision the Mazda was torn in half.
Sergeant Steve Underhill’s four-year-old daughter in the back seat received fatal injuries and died at the scene.
Sgt Underhill’s other daughter, aged two, who was also in the back seat received serious injuries and was taken to Lismore Hospital before being transferred to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital where she has since regained consciousness and is speaking to her parents.
News of the crash sent shock waves around the Northern Rivers and across Australia when it was revealed Sgt Underhill attended the scene of the incident.
To help the family deal with their grief and ease any financial burdens, Tammie Valle launched a GoFundMe webpage for people to donate to.
“The Underhill family suffered a major tragedy and as a community we all felt helpless in what we could do and many were asking where they could donate to ease the burdens,” she wrote.
The 18-year-old female driver of the Mazda was taken to Lismore Hospital with a laceration to her arm.
The seven-year-old female front seat passenger was also taken to Lismore Hospital suffering shock.
The driver and front seat passenger were unrelated to the back seat passengers.
The 81-year-old male driver of the Subaru, who was the sole occupant, was taken to Lismore Hospital with sternum injuries.
Police are appealing for any witnesses of the crash to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/11000-raised-in-21-hours-for-crash-victims-family/2879423/
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Policeman called to crash site finds girl who died is his daughter
IT’S the phone call every parent dreads.
But when Casino police called the father of a toddler killed in a horror road smash on Friday, they were calling one of their own.
Richmond police sergeant Steve Underhill rushed to the scene of the two-car crash on the Bruxner Highway in NSW to find his two young daughters in the wreckage.
The car they were travelling in had been ripped in half.
Sgt Underhill’s four-year-old girl died at the scene, while his two-year-old was rushed to Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Hospital in a critical condition.
In a ray of light for a town gripped in grief, the girl later emerged from a coma.
Sgt Underhill is a local officer who has responded to accidents on the very stretch of road where his daughter died.
The young sisters and another eight-year-old girl were passengers in a car driven by their babysitter, Courteney Matthews, an 18-year-old ballerina who had just finished high school at a respected private school.
The dedicated community worker, who raised money to help people in Third World countries, escaped with minor arm injuries in the crash.
At the scene, local woman Tazman Currie rushed to help the girls tangled in the wreckage.
We were driving and heard a big bang and smoke, so we got out of the car to see what had happened. One half of the car was on the right side of the road and the other half on the other side,” she said.
“The little girl kept saying her back hurt so I got her to sit down and tried to settle her down.”
A mother herself, Ms Currie described the moments when Sgt Underhill arrived.
“He was speechless, he was so shocked and upset. He wanted to know what had happened,” she said.
She said he tried desperately to help but was suffering from shock.
Ms Currie said the girls’ mother also soon arrived and was devastated to see her family torn apart.
She said the teenage driver was also devastated.
“She didn’t really care about herself, she wanted the little girls to be OK,” she said.
Ms Currie said the community, a tight-knit town of 10,000 people, was shocked and upset about the incident.
The driver of the second vehicle, an 81-year-old retired pharmacist, was taken to Lismore Base Hospital suffering internal bleeding and sternum injuries. The man’s son yesterday told The Sunday Mail his father was shaken by the accident but recovering.
The NSW Police Association sent officers from Sydney to help Sgt Underhill, his family, and his colleagues through the ordeal.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
The girl’s death is the first since police launched Operation Arrive Alive on Thursday.
May God give the family strength to overcome this terrible tragedy. Our prayers go out to you and we are thinking of you all. The little girl is safe in the arms of God now. God Bless You All.
it is a proven fact that more people have died on the road in the last 12 months ( texting ) then driving under the influence….?
% 95 of Accidents are Caused through someones Mistakes…..
lets just hope that no-one was texting or otherwise distracted in this tragedy.
rip little one
The shock, & horror Sgt Underhill has had to go through, is beyond imagination.
He will need every ounce of support that’s possible, from all, for a long time.
My deepest condolences on such a sorrowful situation.
RIP, little one……
Shocking. No one can imagine how this father and mother feel. I’m a nana and it breaks my heart when I hear or read about a little one like this. So so very sorry for your loss. There’s a new star in the sky shining down.
What can anyone say about this story except why? Why do bad things happen to good people and the innocent while murderers, child molesters and those that prey on the weak live healthy, selfish and care free lives contributing nothing while taking whatever they can.
I’m an ex-cop and someone who believes in a merciful God but these things, and I’ve seen them happen time and time again, test my faith every time. This accident has pushed it to the limit once again.
I hope this will make people take more care on the roads this holiday season. It can happen to anyone, RIP little one, may your family recover from this terrible loss.
I hope you’re okay Steve. My sincerest condolences to you and your family. Hopefully the Police family will help to look after you. All the best.
The pain and heartache is beyond words. Sadly, the policeman and his family will suffer this for a lifetime. Praying for speedy recovery for the injured.
I could not imagine anything worse than attending something like this and finding out it’s your family…….sincere condolences to the officer and his wife at this sad time……..
A sad day for the township, but even a sadder time for the Sergeant Underwood and his family. I could not imagine the grief all these people are feeling at this time.
Tears in Heaven RIP darling. Praying the 2 yr old will fully recover and others involved can go on.
How tragic such an awful thing to happen at anytime but right on Christmas.
The poor policemen that responded my heart breaks for you and your family
One of those articles we wish we didn’t have to read. So dreadfully sad, my heartfelt sympathy to the Police officer and his family. Nothing will change the circumstances, but please know you have the support and thoughts of thousands.
It is refreshing to see below, that at this time all comments are of sympathy and support, nobody opining their speculative solutions.
I could not imagine anything worst, as this must be the nightmare every emergency worker thinks of before attending an accident. My heart goes out to the officer and the family involved. R.I.P. little one
Police have to attend all sorts of grisly events, but to arrive at the scene of a car accident only to discover your young daughter was a fatal victim is way off the scale.
My heartfelt sympathies to the officer and his family. There will be no Christmas for them this year.
Sympathy to the Family, Friends & the people of the region. Hats off to our Emergency Service’s
Another Angel in heaven. Another family who’s Christmas will never be the same. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
I hope the Police, the community and everyone that can give this policeman and his family all the support they can in this awful tragedy
My condolences to that police officer and his family….working in the emergency services can deal up some pretty hard calls at times…but a call like this officer faced is a call that know one in emergency service wants to face….one can only imagine what’s going threw that police officers mind ATM.
Hang in there…
There will be a time and a place for answers Bruce but at the moment it is the time to be supporting the families involved. I have no doubts the police will be putting the utmost efforts in determining what happened. Such tragedies deserve respect to the families. It looks like the reporters are showing their respect to the families and police by allowing them to investigate the scene whilst not interfering or nagging police during such distressing times .
Empathy is what should be our focus at the moment. In time Bruce there will be answers.
My heart goes out to the Officer that would be one of the worst things that anyone would have to face. Bad enough going to these accidents but to find your little child would be beyond pain. I am sure his mates would of taken care of him. God Bless to all of them and I hope the others in the car make a full recovery. Rest in peace little girl and hugs to your family..
This is so sad and tragic and especially this time of the year. My families condolences to this poor family, I can’t even begin to imagine their pain.
This is a tragic event ,Our thoughts are with them and I pray that the media leave him and his family alone to grieve in peace
It must be every country coppers nightmare when attending accidents, to come across a loved one or family friend…
They see such awful scenes in all parts of their work – but this is the worst of them.
Really feel for them.
My sympathy to the officer and their family after suffering such a tragic acident.Country police always get called to those that they know and love. God bless.
Our prayers go out to the policeman who lost his daughter in the horrific car accident.What a tragic thing to happen , going to the scene of an accident and finding one of your family members deceased RIP
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Policeman’s Christmas heartbreak: Off-duty officer arrived at crash scene to find his daughter, 4, dead inside and his youngest girl, 2, in critical condition… as police chief begs drivers to slow down
- Police Sergeant Steve Underhill arrived at car crash near Casino, NSW
- His two daughters were still trapped inside the vehicle at the time
- His four-year-old daughter Elle died at the scene on Friday, 1.20pm
- Car was being driven by their 18-year-old babysitter Courteney Matthews
- Three other people across Australia died in road accidents on Wednesday
- Police increasing safety operations over Christmas with double demerits
A grieving police officer who was called to the crash site where his four-year-old daughter perished and his two-year-old daughter suffered critical injuries will be offered more than $50,000 in donations.
Police Sergeant Steve Underhill arrived at the scene at Bruxner Highway near Casino in northern NSW on Friday while his two daughters were still trapped inside the Red Mazda 323 which split in half in the two-car collision, Daily Telegraph reports.
Sgt Underhill was off-duty at the time, local police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia, and had to be restrained after his colleagues called him to the horrifying scene, Nine News reports.
His four-year-old daughter Elle died at the scene, and his two-year-old daughter was airlifted to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane in a critical condition.
She had emerged from a coma the following day in a remarkable recovery, NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia.
She will reportedly remain in hospital for a week as a precaution.
The car was being driven by the girls’ babysitter, 18-year-old Courteney Matthews. She suffered lacerations to her arm in the accident.
The little girl’s death just a week before Christmas comes as three others died on Australian roads on the first day of the holiday season on Wednesday.
A passenger died in a two-car crash on the Bruce Highway, about 20km north of Gin Gin in central Queensland, about 12.45pm on Wednesday.
A motorcyclist aged in his 20s was killed hours later after he collided with a taxi in Albert Park, in Melbourne’s inner south.
Police believe the taxi was doing a U-turn when the man crashed into it just before 5pm.
Another man later died in Tasmania after his car collided with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction south of Somerset.
Speed and alcohol may have contributed to the crash, Tasmania police believe.
Police around Australia are increasing safety operations over the Christmas period, including stepping up drug and alcohol testing.
Double demerits will also be in place from Thursday, December 24 to Sunday, January 3.
They will target speeding, illegal use of mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and riding without a helmet.
Tasmanian Police say there’s an eight-hour period on Christmas Eve when motorists are most likely to have a road accident after examining crash statistics from the past five years.
‘The most likely time for a crash to occur during the Christmas and New Year period is on Christmas Eve between midday and 8pm,’ assistant commissioner Donna Adams said.
It comes as heartfelt tributes rolled in for ‘beautiful girl’ Elle on the GoFundMe page set up for her family.
‘Such a beautiful girl and friend to our daughter, you will be greatly missed,’ one person wrote.
‘Our hearts go out to you for your loss of beautiful Elle and our prayers will be sent for her sister. We have only just been touched by tragedy ourselves and wish to pay forward some of the beautiful kindness we have also received,’ another said. ‘Stay strong for each other.’
‘Constantly in our hearts,’ another person who donated wrote.
The staff at Tweed Byron Police donated $1,000 to the family on Wednesday.
Altogether, more than $50,000 for the family in just three days, after family friend Tammie Valle launched the fundraiser.
The Casino local wrote that the community ‘felt helpless in what we could do’ to help the Underhill family following the tragedy.
‘The funds raised will go towards helping this family with assisting with the funeral, memorial, and help with accommodation, medical expenses and travel costs,’ the page reads.
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the force was grieving with the family.
‘We care and we hurt,’ he told Nine News.
Three others were hospitalised when the two cars collided around 1.20pm on Friday.
A seven-year-old girl in the passenger seat of the same car was taken to Lismore Base Hospital suffering shock.
The 18-year-old woman driving, a babysitter, was taken to the same hospital, two hours south of Brisbane, with a laceration to her arm.
Neither the driver nor the seven-year-old girl are related to the two and four-year-old girls, who were sitting in the back seat of the car.
An 81-year-old man, the driver and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a white Subaru Liberty, was taken to hospital with sternum injuries and is understood to have been released from hospital on Saturday.
That day, a NSW Police spokesman said there was ‘good news’ for the two-year-old girl amongst the tragedy.
‘She’s out of the coma and breathing on her own now and talking to her parents.’
A toddler’s car seat, children’s toys and clothing could reportedly be seen in the wreckage near Irvington Wharf Road, about 10km east of Casino.
‘It’s an absolute tragedy that someone so long has been lost,’ NSW Police Traffic and Highway Commander Acting Assistant Commissioner Hartley said on Friday.
‘Let this time be one of celebration, an occasion where all the seats at the Christmas table are filled.’
Diversions were put in place away from the crash site for around seven hours on Friday.
The Crash Investigation Unit is investigating the crash with the assistance of local police.
They are appealing for any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police to come forward.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
You can donate to the family at the GoFundMe page.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tammie Valle.
Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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https://www.gofundme.com/snf8fzwk
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Elle Underhill: Family asks police to watch over her body as they hope and pray for their injured younger daughter
THE heartbroken family of car crash victim Elle Underhill have asked police to ensure their daughter’s body is not left alone as they keep vigil at the hospital bedside of their younger daughter.
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said Sergeant Steve Underhill and his wife Michelle had asked him to ensure Elle was “not by herself” while they were with their two-year-old daughter in Brisbane.
Mr Scipione also revealed the heartbreaking moments when Sgt Underhill arrived at the crash scene and had to be held back by colleagues as he realised four-year-old Elle and her sister were involved.
The two girls were in the back seat of a red Mazda 323 when it and a white Subaru Liberty collided about 1.20pm last Friday 10km east of Casino on the north coast.
Their babysitter Courteney Matthews, 18, and a seven-year-old girl, sitting in the front seats, suffered minor injuries and shock.
Elle’s sister was flown to the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital where she was “on the mend”, Mr Scipione said.
Mr Scipione, who spent time with the Underhill family this week, said it was a “tragedy from start to finish”.
“It’s so horrific it’s difficult to even talk about,” he said.
“We deal with these matters every day but when it’s one of your own and when it’s so graphic, it’s difficult to tell other people. “In their conversations with me, it’s clear that they were mourning the loss of their angel. They were mourning the loss of their little girl, they didn’t want her to be alone.
“They were saying ‘Commissioner, will you please make sure she’s not by herself’.”
The drivers involved are receiving counselling and friends are rallying behind Ms Matthews. Retired analytical chemist John White, 81, suffered a fractured sternum and internal bleeding in the crash but is expected to be released soon from hospital.
Mr Scipione said police were investigating the cause of the accident.
“We have to get to the bottom of that,” he said.
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