Summah Richards, 12, mourned after fatal e-scooter in Laidley, Queensland
A Queensland high school student killed in a e-scooter crash in a rural town is being remembered as a caring young girl whose smile would light up a room.
Twelve-year-old Summah Richards was riding an e-scooter in Laidley, west of Brisbane, when she died in a collision with a car at about 3pm on Saturday.
Queensland Police said initial investigations suggested Summah was riding southbound on Vaux Street when she fell into the path of a grey Holden Barina travelling in the same direction.
Authorities said Summah died at the scene.
The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were not injured.
Summah is being remembered as a mature girl with a caring nature and big dreams.
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Supplied
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Family friend Stacey Ardrey said the 12-year-old, who had just started high school this year, had such a "bubbly" personality and cared deeply about her community.
"She just had this really cheeky grin that anytime you looked at her, she was always smiling," Ms Ardley said.
"It was always that same grin.
"It's going to be very much missed — she's leaving behind a very big gap in her family and community and in anyone's life she touched."
The community is pouring out support for Summah's family
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Supplied
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Community support
Ms Ardley said Summah always looked out for others, including her young children, and hoped to become a nurse practitioner not only to help people but also because she believed it would "bring her in the big dollars".
"Words can't really describe the warmth this child radiated," she said.
"I'm a helicopter mum myself and just having Summah interacting with my children, you just knew they were safe with her.
"She was very mature and bubbly.
"
She was amazing.
"
Summah died on Vaux Street on Easter Saturday.
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ABC Southern Qld: Peter Sanders
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Ms Ardley said a GoFundMe campaign she created to help cover the family's ongoing costs had already surpassed its goal for funeral expenses.
"It's just been phenomenal seeing how quickly everyone jumped on board," she said.
"I'm just hoping to relieve that financial and that mental load of worrying about how everything is going to be paid for.
"We've reached the goal and it'll provide Summah a beautiful send-off for her eternal place of rest."
One of Summah's friends left a heartfelt note at the memorial near the scene.
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ABC Southern Qld: Peter Sanders
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'Extremely tragic'
Flowers and soft toys have been placed near the crash site in honour of Summah's memory.
Road Policing and Regional Support Command Acting Chief Superintendent Garrath Channells said the incident was being investigated.
"That's an extremely tragic incident that occurred in Laidley," he said.
"To lose a young person like that to a fatal traffic crash is really tragic and my heart goes out to the family and the friends of that young person who has been taken away from the family much too early.
"It would appear that the child has lost control of the e-scooter … [resulting] in the individual falling off the scooter and coming to the ground in front of a moving vehicle, which has collided with the child.
"That's still under investigation — our specialist investigative unit from the forensic crash unit will work through the full investigation, but at this early date that is what appears to have occurred."
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact police.
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