Tributes are flowing for 15-year-old Alyra Whalen who tragically lost her life when the car she was driving crashed into a swamp in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Friends and family have laid flowers for the teenager, as police try and work out why she was driving a car.
The Year 10 Benowa State High School student has been described as a “smart and beautiful girl who was full of joy.”
The teen was driving along Helensvale Road with two friends when she lost control of the Toyota Corolla and left the road, hitting a sign and ending up in swampy water.
The teen died at the scene, while two passengers, a 21-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, were rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries to their legs and chest.
Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon called it a “tragedy”.
“It’s another young person who has lost their life,” Hanlon said,
“Too many people are losing their lives on Queensland roads and we’ve got to stop it.”
“We’re trying to ascertain the reasons firstly why the 15-year-old female was driving the vehicle and then why the vehicle exited the road and collided with the sign,” Hanlon said.
Forensic investigations are continuing, including an examination of the car.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or has dashcam footage, to come forward.
