Two men — a British motor enthusiast and an Adelaide father who coached baseball — were killed when a car they were passengers in rolled over on Kangaroo Island on Wednesday evening, South Australian police said.
Ed Burrows, 26, and Craig Doyle, 55, died at the scene. The vehicle’s 42-year-old driver, identified as Mr. Doyle’s nephew, survived with only minor injuries and was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with two counts of causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle, police said.
Local reports said the vehicle may have swerved to avoid a kangaroo before leaving the road and rolling. Police investigators attended the remote southern Australian island on Thursday morning to examine the crash scene and continue inquiries into the circumstances of the accident.
Both men had been working at the Sea Dragon Lodge earlier on the day of the crash, the lodge’s owner, Karin Greenslade, told local media. Greenslade paid tribute to Burrows, saying the lodge community was in disbelief and that he had embraced life on Kangaroo Island.
Mr. Burrows, described on social media as a keen motoring enthusiast, was touring Australia from the central desert to the south coast and documenting his travels online. In a July video montage of outback footage, friends from back home commented on his journey; in one reply he wrote, "I'm trying it on for size." The family of Mr. Doyle, a father of two and life member of the Goodwood Baseball Club, announced his death on social media and said they were devastated.
"Our hearts are absolutely broken," a family statement on social media read. "My dad's life was cut short last night as he died in a serious car crash on Kangaroo Island. We currently have no words but we wanted our friends and family to know…We love you sooooo much dad and will miss you for ever and ever." The Goodwood Baseball Club said it would provide a full tribute and funeral details in coming days and asked for privacy for the Doyle family.
Kangaroo Island, off South Australia’s coast, is sparsely populated and popular with tourists and seasonal workers; wildlife-vehicle collisions are regularly cited by local authorities as a hazard on rural roads. Authorities said they would not speculate on the cause of the crash while investigations continue and forensic and crash-reconstruction teams complete their work.
Police charged the driver after initial inquiries and further details on the investigation, including whether any other factors such as speed or road conditions contributed to the crash, were expected to be released as the probe continued. Funeral arrangements and tributes for the two men were being organised by family and colleagues.