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Fatal tragedy on ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Swift concerts

Sisters Mieka and Freya Pokarier, 16 and 10, were on their way to Taylor Swift's concerts.

Sisters Mieka and Freya Pokarier, 16 and 10, were on their way to Taylor Swift's concerts. Photo: TND/Getty

There were three empty seats at Taylor Swift’s opening concert in Melbourne on Friday after a mum and two daughters were involved in a horrific crash on the road trip “of a lifetime”.

Sixteen-year-old Swift fan Mieka Pokarier was killed and her sister Freya, 10, is fighting for life in an induced coma after their SUV collided head on with a semi-trailer near Dubbo on Thursday night.

The Queenslanders had left the Gold Coast to watch Taylor Swift in Melbourne and then Sydney and were not far from their accommodation in Dubbo when tragedy struck.

Their mother Kim Litchfield, who was driving, was taken to Dubbo Hospital with minor injuries.

The driver of the semi-trailer was taken to Dubbo Hospital in a stable condition.

Mieka, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, died at the scene and her sister, who was in the rear passenger seat, was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition, said police.

The girls’ godmother Karleigh Fox said Freya was in a medically induced coma.

“Her papa and other big sister have been at her bedside flying down from the Gold Coast as soon as they could,” she posted in an update on GoFundMe, which has so far raised more than $24,000.

She said Freya was fighting for her life with brain injuries, a damaged pelvis and broken leg.

“We are playing her favourite Taylor Swift album 1989 Taylor’s Version on repeat in her room and telling her about the merch we are seeing people buying online,” she said.

Plea for accommodation

“The family have all had to cease work to fly down and I’m trying to get a flight to support the mum as she’s alone in Dubbo until we can get her to Sydney. Funds will be used to function in this challenging time.

“We are also seeking accommodation which is hard to find in Sydney at the moment due to the Swifty influx if anyone knows anything.

“Thank you for your support. This was supposed to be a road trip of a lifetime with them going to concerts in both Melbourne and Sydney.”

Mieka Pokarier died at the scene of the head-on collision.

The Sunday Telegraph reports that the last thing Mieka had open on her iPad before she died was a Taylor Swift playlist she had spent hours creating with all her favourite songs.

Fox told the newspaper the girls had been talking about their Taylor Swift pilgrimage since before they secured 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,” she said.

She told the Sunday Telegraph Mieka’s entire life was Taylor Swift and she even named her cat Mr Perfectly Fine after a Taylor Swift song.

“They were both such beautiful, vivacious girls and Taylor Swift was empowering them,” she said.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident has commenced.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

As inquiries continue, anyone with information or dash cam footage about this incident is urged to contact Orana Mid Western Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

-with AAP

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