WA missing family found with parents dead after car crash in outback
Horror as a young mum and dad are found dead alongside their surviving children – a boy, 2, girl, 5, and a two-month-old BABY – after their car skidded off a remote stretch of road on Christmas Day
- Tragic end to search for missing family with parents found dead
- Jake Day, 28, and Cindy Braddock, 25 died in car crash in WA outback
- The three children who survived the crash are being flown to Perth
The desperate search for a family who had not been seen since Christmas Day ended in horror when a relative discovered their crashed car with the parents’ bodies inside, while three surviving children were stranded at the site.
Two of the children, a girl, five, and a boy, two, had climbed out of the car while a two-month-old baby was still strapped inside the Land Rover Discovery, which was located just before midday on Tuesday having skidded off road in the remote West Australian wheatbelt.
The three of the children suffered non-life threatening injuries and have been airlifted to Perth for treatment.
Jake Day, 28, and Cindy Braddock, 25, were last seen leaving Northam and travelling towards Kondinin, their home town, a few hours east of Perth in Western Australia at around 1am on Sunday.
A relative has made the horrific discovery of the bodies of Jake Day, 28, and Cindy Braddock, 25, (pictured) in their crashed vehicle in a remote area of WA, while the three surviving children were stranded at the site
It is believed the young parents were travelling to their hometown of Kondinin to spend Christmas Day
According to police their four-wheel drive skidded off Corrigin-Kondinin Road and ended up about 10 metres from the tarmac, before being found by relative 10km from Kondinin following a public appeal.
WA Police Inspector Tony Vuleta said the tragedy was traumatic for the tight-knit community.
‘An incident of this type is tragic, especially at this time of year. Our thoughts are with Cindy and Jake’s family at this time,’ he told the ABC.
‘Any event like this will adversely affect the community but this is a time where the community actually comes together and supports each other.’
Police say the death of young parents will be a traumatic blow for their families and their tight-knit communities
The crashed vehicle had skidded off the road 10km from its destination town of Kondinin in a remote area of Western Australia
Before the tragedy came to light friends and family of the couple and their children shared posts and photos to raise awareness for the missing family.
‘Has anyone seen Jake Day or Cindy Braddock since Christmas Day,’ Cindy’s sister, Helen Braddock pleaded in a Facebook post.
‘[They] haven’t made it home and haven’t made contact with anybody since.
‘Please contact Northam police or me if you have seen them or car.’
Helen confirmed on Facebook her mother and aunty as well as Day’s mother had searched roads they likely would have taken.
Her aunty, Sharron Jeffrey, said in a Facebook comment that the couple ‘were fine’ when they left.
The couple had last been seen at around 1am on Christmas Day, travelling in this maroon Land Rover Discovery wagon from Northam to Kondinin
Major Crash investigators have been called in to find out why the crash happened and how long the children were left alone at the site.
The Corrigin-Kondinin Road was closed between the Corrigin-Kulin Road and the Kondinin-Narembeen Road.
Since 2016 the Corrigin-Kondinin Road has had three single vehicle, with involving a car veering off the road and hitting a tree.