A British motoring enthusiast and an Adelaide father were killed when the car they were travelling in rolled over on Kangaroo Island on Wednesday evening, authorities and local sources said.
Ed Burrows, 26, and Craig Doyle, 55, died in the crash, while a 42-year-old man — identified as Mr Doyle’s nephew and the vehicle’s driver — survived with minor injuries and was arrested and charged with two counts of causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle, police said. Crash investigators attended the scene on Thursday morning.
Local reports said the vehicle may have swerved to avoid a kangaroo before rolling, though investigators had not confirmed the cause of the crash. Police have not released further details about the collision or the circumstances leading up to it as inquiries continue.
Mr Burrows, a 26-year-old from Britain, had been travelling across Australia and documenting his journey on social media, posting videos of his outback travels earlier in the year. He and Mr Doyle were both employed at the Sea Dragon Lodge on Kangaroo Island and had been at the lodge the day of the crash, the lodge’s owner, Karin Greenslade, said.
"We can't grasp it — we are in disbelief," Greenslade said in a statement shared with local media. "Ed was loving everything on Kangaroo Island, loving life here."
Mr Doyle’s family and the Goodwood Baseball Club in Adelaide, of which he was a life member, expressed shock and grief. Mr Doyle’s daughter posted on social media that the family was "absolutely broken" and that his life had been cut short. The club said its thoughts were with the Doyle family and that a tribute and funeral details would follow.
Kangaroo Island, located off the coast of South Australia, has narrow rural roads where wildlife strikes and single-vehicle accidents have occurred in the past, complicating emergency responses. Authorities have not yet released a timeline for when formal findings of the crash investigation will be published.
The arrested driver faces two counts of causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle; further legal proceedings are pending. Police urged anyone with information about the crash to contact investigators as inquiries continue.
Emergency services and investigators remained at the scene on Thursday as they worked to establish the sequence of events. The families of the deceased have requested privacy while they make arrangements and grieve.