Brisbane bus crash: Tia Cameron’s mother pays heartbreaking tribute to teenager struck and killed in CBD

The teenage girl killed by an out-of-control bus in the Brisbane CBD during the evening rush hour has been remembered by heartbroken loved ones.

Tia Cameron, 18, had just finished getting her eyelashes done at a nearby beauty salon and was on her way to have cocktails with her aunt when the bus pulled onto a sidewalk and hit her at the corner of Ann and Edward streets in Brisbane on Friday evening drove up. .

She died on the spot.

Family and friends mourned the loss of the vibrant teen who they said was “stolen from us.”

Tia’s mother Jade Te Awhitu said the loss was devastating.

“She was only 18 and had her whole life ahead of her,” Ms Te Awhitu told the newspaper Courier mail.

‘She was beautiful, outgoing and unique, truly unique. She loved the beach, the Gold Coast, fashion and looking after her partner’s small puppies and dogs. She was very close to all her family.”

Karma Te Awhitu, Mrs Cameran’s devastated aunt, said: ‘We feel she has been stolen from us.’

The bus had just turned onto Edward St from Ann St during the Friday afternoon rush hour when it appeared the driver lost control and veered towards the footpath.

Ms Cameron was reportedly facing the wall of a building in Anzac Square when she was hit from behind and pushed against the wall of the building.

Despite the efforts of emergency services, she died on the spot.

Ms Cameron attended Ferny Grove State High but left at 16 to work in the beauty industry before landing a job in administration at the city’s prestigious Brisbane Club.

Ms Te Awhitu said while her daughter loved that work, her interest was in beauty and cosmetics.

She had been in a relationship with her boyfriend Hayden since she was 14.

“He’s not very good but he’s holding up – we all support each other,” Ms Te Awhitu said.

“I think we’re all in shock.”

Flowers were left at the scene of the accident on Saturday, including by Brisbane mayor adrian schrinner on that morning.

“What happened in Brisbane last night was a devastating tragedy,” wrote Cr. Schrinner on Facebook.

“It has left our entire community in shock.

“To the family and friends of Tia Cameron who tragically lost her life, and to everyone affected, the thoughts, prayers and hearts of Brisbane are with you.”

Cr. Schrinner also promised that “all questions about how the accident occurred” will be answered.

“We now know that the police are working on this,” he said.

‘We help them in every way possible. A range of camera images have been provided, including both traffic camera images and images of the bus itself.

‘Everything is done to find and provide those answers. “I want the people of Brisbane to know and I especially want the family and friends of this young woman to know that Brisbane is a city that is with you right now.”

Nine people on the bus were also treated by paramedics, with five taken to hospital, including the driver, with minor injuries after being thrown from their seats during the collision.

The incident caused chaos at the scene at the intersection of Edward and Adelaide streets, not far from Brisbane Central Station, with pedestrians running from the crash site and traffic being diverted during rush hour.

WItnesses described hearing the bus crash into a light pole before hitting the sidewalk and “seeing rocks flying,” the Courier said.

Minh Phan, the owner of the salon the victim visited before the tragedy, left flowers at the accident site on Saturday morning.

“I am very sad to hear what happened,” Ms Phan told the waiting media. “And I feel very sorry for her family.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles sent a message to X to express his condolences to the young woman’s family.

“I am saddened to hear the news that a woman has been killed this evening after a bus was involved in a serious accident in the Brisbane CBD,” he posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The police investigation into the cause of the tragic accident is still ongoing.