A HERO AT WORK, A VICTIM ON THE ROAD: COMMUNITY DEVASTATED AFTER BELOVED NURSE ALLEGEDLY KI-LLED BY MAN FLEEING AN EARLIER INCIDENT—POLICE CONTINUE MAJOR INVESTIGATION
A beloved mother of two has died after a thug veered into her car while fleeing along a Tasmanian highway after stabbing his girlfriend.
Nurse Elaine Gee, 39, was returning to her Winkleigh home from work at Launceston Hospital on Friday, making her 30-minute, 33km drive on Tasmania‘s West Tamar Highway, when a man coming from the opposite direction swerved into her path, causing a head-on collision.
The 42-year-old Western Australian man, who was driving a blue Skoda, had just stabbed his girlfriend in Exeter. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, near Legana, in the state’s north-west.
Ms Gee, the sole occupant of her Nissan Navara, was rushed to hospital in a serious condition.
Police announced at 9pm on Sunday that Ms Gee had died. She leaves behind her husband Rodney, who was her high-school sweetheart, and two sons aged six and ten.
Rodney shared a searing statement on Sunday evening, describing his wife’s death as ‘unfair, and crap’.
‘There are no clever words for it. The entire situation is completely unacceptable… and this is without question the worst day of our family’s lives,’ he said.
‘It is now going to take all of us – family, friends, teachers, the local community and everyone who knew and loved Elaine – to help me make the good boys we have raised together to become the great men she knew they could be.
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Beloved wife and mother Elaine Gee died just short of her 40th birthday in Tasmania
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She is survived by her high-school sweetheart Rodney and their two young sons
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Ms Gee had been driving home to Winkleigh from Launceston, and died near Legana
‘Tell them the stories. Remind them who their mum was. Pull them into line when they need it, and stand beside them when life gets hard.
‘I can be their dad, but no-one can ever replace their mum.’
Ms Gee’s mother-in-law Louise shared a picture of the family on their farm with the gut-wrenching caption, ‘Hold your family close.’
A GoFundMe created by a family friend, which has already raised $59,000, shed more light on Ms Gee’s death.
‘Elaine was tragically killed in a senseless act of violence. A man who had allegedly stabbed his girlfriend then deliberately drove straight into Elaine while she was driving home from work at Launceston hospital, where she worked as a nurse for the past 20 years,’ a post read.
‘She was completely innocent, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
It’s understood Ms Gee fought for her life for around 48 hours, but when it became clear her injuries were not survivable, her family was called in to say their goodbyes.
‘Elaine and Rodney were together since they were 15. They were truly meant for each other, they were best friends, they were soulmates, their love was plain for anyone to see,’ the GoFundMe said.
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A horrific image shows the devastating aftermath of the crash that killed Ms Gee
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Mr Gee declared that while ‘I can be the boys’ dad, I can never replace their mum’
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Ms Gee, a keen horsewoman, had worked as a nurse for more than 20 years
‘Her boys were her whole world, and she was a devoted, caring mum who adored them beyond words.’
The family was excitedly planning for Ms Gee’s upcoming 40th birthday, but now they are preparing to hold her funeral instead.
The GoFundMe funds raised will go toward that funeral, as well as supporting Mr Gee financially while he navigates his grief and supports the boys.
Ms Gee had been a nurse for more than 20 years, and was described as a ‘relentless advocate’ for patients.
‘Elaine dedicated her nursing career to caring for people at their most vulnerable, starting as a surgical nurse before moving into a role few would have the vision or determination to take on: improving patient flow,’ a friend said.
The stabbing victim, who along with her partner was visiting Tasmanian relatives from Perth, remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The woman, in her 40s, was stabbed multiple times by the man, who she had been in a relationship with for six months.
The couple had been staying at a relative’s house in Exeter after arriving in Tasmania on Wednesday.
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The family was planning Ms Gee’s 40th – now they are preparing her funeral
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Ms Gee, who worked at Launceston Hospital, died from her injuries 48 hours later
Police said two of the woman’s children were also at the house at the time of the stabbing, but they were not direct witnesses the attack.
Shortly after the stabbing, police received a report that the vehicle the man had fled in had been driving erratically and was involved in the collision on the West Tamar Highway.
A report is being prepared for the coroner, and police are appealing for any dashcam footage of the man’s blue Skoda in the lead-up to the crash.
In a statement, Tasmania Police said their ‘thoughts are with the loved ones of both women, and all those affected by these incidents’.
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16006767/tasmania-elaine-gee-killed-stabbing-crash-launceston-hospital-exeter.html
