'Younger generation' film burning car

By Gemma Jones From: The Daily Telegraph December 30, 2009 6:39AM

-Onlookers film girls in burning car

-Girls "appeared alive" until explosion

-Truck "was on two wheels" before crash

AS TWO sisters were dying in their burning car on a stretch of the Princes Hwy in NSW and their mother begged for someone to help them, onlookers filmed the carnage on mobile phones.

Rescuers at the scene of Monday's horror fuel tanker crash that killed the girls and a truck driver told yesterday of their disgust at the behaviour of some onlookers.

"We saw people filming it, it will probably be on YouTube," Emily Harrison - one those who tried to save the trapped girls - told The Daily Telegraph.

"There were a lot of people coming with towels, there were a lot of people coming with water and then there was the younger generation with their mobile phones."

Ms Harrison was one of several people who arrived at the Princes Hwy crash scene at East Lynne, north of Batemans Bay, just after the 4.50pm crash.

She was among those who helped rescue the girls' parents - Dave and Debbie Bridge, 47 and 40 - from their crashed and burning Subaru.

The Ulladulla parents and their daughters - Jordan, 13, and Makeely, 11 - were in the last of three cars to be struck by the runaway fuel tanker which then exploded.

The accident was witnessed by Mrs Bridge's sister Sheree Montgomery and her husband Frank, who were following in a car behind the Bridges.

The rescuers described heartbreaking scenes after the couple were dragged from the car by those first at the scene with the help of Mr Montgomery, who suffered burns to his hands.

Rural Fire Service volunteer Blair McDonald, 26, said that after Mrs Bridge was freed from the wreck of the family's Subaru, she walked to the middle of the highway and cried: "My children, will someone get my children."

"Both the parents were screaming out for their daughters. We went back to get the girls, there was no way we could get in there," Mr McDonald said.

The girls appeared to be still alive at that stage but then a massive explosion rocked the car.

"There was a lot of people around on the northern end of the incident taking photos or filming it. It did piss me off," Mr McDonald said.

Mrs Harrison said Mr Bridge was placed on a fire blanket nearby and cried as he struggled for breath, telling her: "My girls, my girls."

As he lay on the fire blanket on the side of the road, Mr Bridge told Ms Harrison the truck was travelling on "two wheels" and he couldn't get out of its way.

The family had been travelling in a family convoy from Christmas celebrations in Victoria.

From: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/younger-generation-film-burning-car/story-e6frg12c-1225814615196