Woman Says Her Heart Is ‘Shattered’ After Witnessing Fiancé and Their 2 Children Lose Their Lives in Tragic Crash

A mother is facing an unimaginable reality as the single parent to her youngest child after witnessing her partner and two of their three children die in a horrific car crash.

The tragedy unfolded at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 20, when emergency services responded to a devastating head-on crash on the Capricorn Highway in Queensland, Australia, according to police.

Officials reported that the two vehicles collided at “very high speed” before both were engulfed in flames, bursting into flames upon impact. “Initial investigations indicate a Holden Commodore traveling towards Blackwater with four occupants struck a Toyota Hilux utility containing two occupants traveling in the opposite direction,” police confirmed.

Four people died as a result of the crash. Police Inspector Ben Wiltshire later shared that a “6-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, a 28-year-old man and a 32-year-old man were tragically lost in this crash.“

The victims have been identified as Shaun Ranger, 32, and his children, Baylee, 7, and Chandler, 6. The family was returning from a camping trip when the incident occurred. In a heartbreaking detail confirmed by Inspector Wiltshire, Ranger’s fiancée, Renee Jenkins, was traveling in another vehicle behind them.

Jenkins, who is now raising their 2-year-old daughter alone, told ABC News that her heart has been “ripped to shreds” after witnessing the crash that claimed her family.

“I love them so deeply and just want them to come home, but I know they can’t,” Jenkins shared. “Baylee was a ray of sunshine that would always light up the room just with a smile. My son [Chandler] was ever so gentle and loving.”

“My fiancé was an invested partner and devoted father that would go to the ends of the earth for the kids and I,” she added.

In the wake of the tragedy, a family friend, Chantel Semple, organized a fundraiser that has already raised over $44,000 AUD to support Jenkins and help with funeral expenses. “We are all very heartbroken over this unexpected loss and want to give them the send-off they deserve,” the fundraiser’s description reads.

The Capricorn Highway was closed for hours on Sunday as authorities conducted a “complex investigation,” which Wiltshire noted is standard for every fatal accident.

He called the event a “heartbreaking incident” that serves as a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and the “fragility of life.”

“Every time you get into a vehicle, you are conducting a high-risk activity,” Wiltshire said, according to News.com. “In this case, it’s two young kids who aren’t going to play ball or play an instrument ever again in their lives. It is about people. It’s about families.”

The Queensland Police Service was not able to provide an update on the investigation upon request on Monday, July 21.

According to The North West Star, the fatal crash was part of a deadly weekend on the state’s roads, with six other people being killed in separate incidents. Superintendent Dean Cavanagh cautioned drivers to be vigilant, adding, “The thoughts certainly go out to family and friends who have lost loved ones over this weekend.”