On Thursday, a sixteen-year-old Taylor Swift fan tragically lost her life in a head-on collision with a semi-trailer while en route to attend the pop star's concert in Melbourne.
Mieka Pokarier and her mother were on their way to the concert when the SUV they were traveling in collided with a semi-trailer shortly before 6 p.m. local time, as reported by CNN affiliate 7 News Australia.
According to local police, Mieka, seated in the front passenger seat, died at the scene. Her 10-year-old sister, who was seated in the back, is currently in critical condition at a local hospital, as reported by 7 News Australia.
Her mother is receiving treatment for minor injuries.
According to Melbourne police, the collision occurred approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of the city of Dubbo.
New South Wales police stated in a statement, “The driver of the SUV was treated by NSW (New South Wales) ambulance paramedics before being taken to Dubbo Hospital with minor injuries.”
“The rear passenger, a 10-year-old girl, was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition,” the police statement added.
Mieka Pokarier's godmother, Karleigh Fox, lamented to the Daily Telegraph, stating what "should have been a dream road trip” turned into a tragic nightmare.
“They had been talking about this since before they got the tickets. They spent eight hours refreshing their screens hoping to score tickets and were over the moon to land tickets at both Melbourne and Sydney venues.”
Fox reported that the Swiftie's existence revolved around the billionaire songstress, from incessantly playing her music to naming her cat Mr. Perfectly Fine, inspired by a bonus track from "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" released in 2021.
Swift is currently in Melbourne for the Australia leg of her global “Eras Tour.”
This unfortunate incident comes after the passing of a Taylor Swift fan in November prior to a concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The individual, Benevides Machado, 23, reportedly collapsed at the stadium and tragically died later. This incident occurred amidst a record heatwave, prompting Swift to postpone an earlier show.
“This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil,” Swift expressed in a statement on Instagram at that time. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.
“I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up in Australia to support Mieka's family.
“My family are what I live for. I’m devastated,” her father conveyed, as reported by 7 News Australia.
