The young woman killed in a tragic bus crash in Brisbane’s CBD told her boyfriend she loved him during their final conversation before she died.
Tia Cameron, 18, was killed when an out-of-control commuter bus mounted a packed footpath about 5pm last Friday, pinning her against the wall.
The teenager was walking out of a nearby salon after getting her eyelashes done and was on her way to have cocktails with her relative when the incident occurred.
Speaking at her emotional funeral service at Brisbane’s Hillsong Theatre on Thursday, Ms Cameron’s boyfriend, Hayden Mckinlay, revealed the pair’s final conversation and plans for the future.
“I will forever miss our little calls, I will wait every day for the phone to ring just to hear your voice. The last words we said to each other were ‘I love you’ and we truly meant it,” said Mr Mckinlay, according to The Courier Mail.
He said the pair had “so much” of their lives planned together, including “buying our first home next year, trips away”.
“Tia wanted to go to New Zealand at the end of the year to see the snow and her family. Our life together was so happy.”
Referring to Ms Cameron as his “sunflower”, Mr Mckinlay said he will never forget March 8 – the day he lost the girl of his dreams.
“Tia was my world and my rock, we shared everything together … I can’t imagine how my life will be now without my forever Tia in it,” he said.
Others paid tribute to the “vivacious and audacious” 18-year-old, who wanted to travel and hoped to become a mum.
“My darling T, standing here today, saying goodbye to you, is the most painful thing imaginable,” said Ms Cameron’s aunty Karma Te Awhitu.
“You had plans to study and further your education. You had plans to travel. You always spoke of being a mum, even from a very young age and I knew that one day you would make an incredible mother.
“I’m so very sorry bub that this has been stripped away from you but I promise to keep your memory alive … fly high my angel.”
Ms Te Awhitu earlier told The Courier Mail her family felt as if Ms Cameron had been “stolen from us”.
“She was only 18 and had her whole life ahead of her,” she told the publication.
“She was beautiful, outgoing and unique, really unique. She loved the beach, the Gold Coast, fashion and … was really close with all of her family.”
Recalling the tragic events of last Friday, Ms Te Awhitu said: “She (Ms Cameron) messaged me at 4pm saying she was getting her lashes done and asking if I wanted to catch up for a quick cocktail before she headed home.”
Realising the teen was missing, Ms Te Awhitu said she started ringing the hospital, while Ms Cameron’s partner reached out to police to file a missing person’s report.
It wasn’t until about 11pm that evening that police arrived at a relative’s house to deliver the heartbreaking news.
The Brisbane City Council bus is understood to have been turning off Ann St and onto Edward St in the city’s CBD when it lost control.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner visited the crash site alongside councillor Ryan Murphy, and laid down flowers at the growing memorial.
“What happened in Brisbane last night was a devastating tragedy. It has left our entire community in shock,” Mr Schrinner shared in a post on social media.
“To the family and friends of Tia Cameron who tragically lost her life, and to everyone impacted, the thoughts, prayers and hearts of Brisbane are with you.”
Several passengers on board the bus were treated for soft tissue injuries and three were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
In a statement, police said the driver of the bus and four passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for assessment.
Two GoFundMe pages have been set up to raise money for Ms Cameron’s family.
— with NCA NewsWire