A mother and her nine-month-old baby on a big family reunion on Hamilton Island are fighting for their lives after being involved in a horrific buggy crash.
Jen Beck-Balcikli, 30, was holding her daughter Alara on her lap when the buggy she was riding in crashed into a parked golf cart, according to the Courier Mail.
The crash happened early in the morning last week, leaving Alara with a fractured skull and Mrs Beck-Balcikli with a fractured leg, skull, arm, facial injuries, broken ribs and a punctured lung, according to family member Joanne Millar.
Mrs Beck-Balcikli is in an induced coma at Townsville hospital, and Alara has been moved from a critical condition to serious, but stable.
The mother was on a family reunion from the UK with 12 family members together on the island. Eight of the 12 were injured in the crash, including another infant and a three-year-old.
Jen and her baby girl, Alara.
Police said eight people had been riding in the six-seater vehicle when it crashed.
“One moment you’re having the time of your life, a really magical family experience, surrounded by the people that you love and the next moment your world is in carnage,” Millar said.
Their next stop was Byron Bay before a planned return to Sydney.
The accident is being investigated by forensics, who are also examining the buggy and luggage trailer. A statement by Hamilton Island said that the driver of the golf cart was not an employee, and that they are working closely with police.
A GoFundMe page has been made to assist the family which is now sitting at just over $4,000.
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