The Bucketts Way crash: Wade Hodgess and daughter Ivy killed, brothers trapped for hours in road tragedy
A family is shattered and a tight-knit coastal community “devastated” after a dad and three children were involved in a fatal car wreck on the state’s Mid-North Coast at the weekend.
Police received reports of a concern for the family’s welfare at about 1am on Saturday.
Officers attached to the Manning Great Lakes Police District were told the group may have been travelling to a relative’s home but failed to arrive.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.At about 3am, officers patrolling The Bucketts Way, Tugrabakh — the main tourist drive linking Gloucester to Taree — located an SUV that had left the road and gone down an embankment.
Tragically, the 45-year-old driver and an 11-year-old girl were found dead at the scene.
They were later identified as Green Point locals Wade Hodgess and his daughter, Ivy.
Brothers Lenix and Vann — both younger than 10 — were trapped in the vehicle “for some time”, police said, but were freed by NSW Fire and Rescue and SES crews.
The boys were taken to John Hunter Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
A GoFundMe page titled “Forever Eleven” was established by family friend Amanda Kendall. She has called on the community to “dig deep” to support the family’s sudden costs.
Ms Kendall said the community of Foster/Tuncurry had been “rocked” with the news Ivy and her father had died in the crash.
She said the brothers had “undergone surgery” and their mother and her partner had rushed to be by their side “whilst grieving the loss of their daughter and caring for the other children in the family”.
“We ask upon the community to dig deep (and) help this family give their little girl a beautiful send-off,” Ms Kendall wrote.
“These funds will be contributed to the ongoing rehabilitation, counselling, travel, rental assistance and any other day-to-day expenses that might arise.”
“May Ivy (and) Wade rest in peace”
Within a few hours, the fundraiser has almost doubled its $6500 target, raising more than $12,200.
Locals shared the campaign on community Facebook pages, including the Foster-Tuncurry Junior Rugby League Football Club, which Ivy played with.
The post says one of the “junior Hawks families needs our support more than ever right now”.
“Understandably during this time, there are going to be some considerable expenses for (the family) to cover and not working will put a significant strain on the family budget,” Jenny Pither, who shared the GoFundMe, wrote.
She urged club members to “spare anything, no matter how small”.
“We are thinking of the whole family at this time.”
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash continue.
Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward to Mannings Great Lakes Police or Crime Stoppers.
In a statement, a spokesman said police received information the vehicle “may have been involved in a minor crash earlier in the region”.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Manning Great Lakes Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
