‘Sweetest angel': Tragedy as beloved young mum and 2yo daughter killed in fiery car crash
Jendaya Stewart, 26, and her daughter Lillyannah, two, were travelling along Hat Head Road, in the tiny coastal town of Hat Head on the state's mid-north coast, about 9.40am on Thursday July 10 when their car smashed into the tree.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and found the vehicle engulfed in flames.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the fire before police discovered the pair's bodies inside the vehicle.
One local woman posted on social media that a friend was one of the first to see the crash and tried to save those inside.
'They tried to rescue them with a few others and sadly there was no way possible before the car went up,' she wrote.
'They are gutted.'
Ms Stewart, affectionately known as 'Jen' or 'Jenny, was a proud Biripi and Thunggutti woman who had a passion for conservation and had worked with National Parks Conservation Association, The Green Army, and as an agricultural farm assistant at Orara High School over the years.
The 26-year-old was remembered by her family as a 'loving mother' and 'beloved daughter', in a notice shared by Keith Logue & Sons funeral service on social media.
'Forever loved and deeply missed by all her family and friends,' the notice read.
Her family said Lillyannah, nicknamed Lily, was 'beloved, adored and protected' by Ms Stewart, who welcomed her in September 2022.
'(She was) nanny's sweetest angel and poppy's best mate,' the notice read.
'Loved to the moon and back by all her family. We will miss her sunshine and gorgeous smile in our lives'.
Ms Stewart had shared a number of posts and photos of her daughter on social media
'Teaching my baby how to do the shuffle is so adorable,' she wrote in one post.
Jo-Anne Dacker, Stewart's mother, told 7News her daughter had an 'immeasurable' love for Hat Head – the town where the crash occurred.
'She was so protective of the environment there,' she said.
The small Hat Head community of 365 people expressed an outpouring of sympathy on social media following news of the crash.
'There has been an incredibly sad update on yesterday's crash on Hat Head Road,' an admin wrote on a community Facebook page earlier this month.
'The HHC Admin Team's deepest sympathies go to those in the car, and their friends and family.
'And to everyone in Hat Head and close by, we hope you all find the strength to get through this horrible event.'
The federal MP for the region Pat Conaghan also shared the 'tragic news' on social media.
'My thoughts go to family and friends who are dealing with this unimaginable event,' the Nationals MP said at the time.
'To our community, a reminder to stay safe on our roads this holiday season, don't take risks, drive to the conditions and ensure your vehicle is maintained to safety standards.
'Any life lost on our roads is one life too many.'
Ms Stewart and Lily will be farewelled in a funeral service at Coffs Harbour on August 2.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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