The Matildas’ captain was celebrating a teammate’s wedding yesterday in the Hunter Valley when she received the news about her grandmother.
“She’s a bit shocked,” Sam’s father Roger Kerr said of his daughter at Perth Airport.
“She’s gone straight there to see her grandmother now and we’ll follow.”
Sam’s brother Daniel picked them up from the airport as the family rushed to be by the 89-year-old’s bedside at Royal Perth Hospital.
In a heartbreaking coincidence for the family – Coral’s accident took place at the very intersection her husband Denzil Kerr, Sam’s grandfather, was hit by a car and killed at 20 years ago.
“She was one side of the road and he was the other, so it’s really a tragic set of circumstances,” neighbour Mary Ivey said.
Witnesses say a ute was trying to overtake a bus at the intersection of Marmion Street and Justinian Street in Palmyra just before 11am on Friday, when it mounted the footpath, knocking a power pole and allegedly hitting Coral as she got off the bus.
The 89-year-old was just metres away from her Marmion Street home, with neighbours rushing to her aid.
“She started to come to and recognised me,” Ivey said.
“And was able to talk to us and let us know, you know, that she was in pain.”
Coral is in a serious but stable condition and is undergoing surgery for a broken ankle, femur, and hip. She also suffered concussion during the crash.
The driver, a 63-year-old man from Willagee, has since been charged with one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
He told 9News the crash was unintentional.
He’s now facing up to seven years in jail and will face court in the new year.
