'Hero' tow truck driver who tried to save the Brisbane couple mowed down by a 17-year-old driver is out of work after police impounded his car as evidence - as his sister admits he is emotionally traumatised by the event
A heroic truck driver who tried to save a dying couple from a car crash is now unable to work and reeling from the 'mental and emotional impact' of the traumatic event.
Daniel Edie was driving his tow truck when a 17-year-old - allegedly high on drugs and driving a stolen 4WD - hit his vehicle and rolled over in Alexandra Hills Brisbane's east on Tuesday.
The 4WD then allegedly hit pregnant woman Kate Leadbetter, 31, and her boyfriend Matthew Field, 37, killing them in the process.
Mr Edie went into 'automatic mode' and tried to help the couple and those injured, as well as divert traffic away from the scene and clean up debris.
His truck was then impounded by police as evidence, which means he is now without a source of income - prompting his sister Samantha Rasborsek to create a GoFundMe page for her hero brother.
Pregnant woman Kate Leadbetter, 31, and her boyfriend Matthew Field, 37, were killed in a car crash on Tuesday. Tow truck driver Daniel Edie tried to save them and is now unable to work since his vehicle has been impounded as evidence
Tow truck driver Daniel Edie (pictured right in sunglasses) tried to save the couple and is now unable to work since his vehicle has been impounded as evidence
'The mental and emotional impact is greater then we can imagine for him,' Ms Rasborek wrote on the GoFundMe page.
'My brother works for my parents' small family business, Reliable Towing.
'The police have impounded his truck for evidence, which means he can no longer work and unfortunately until the police complete their investigation it's unknown when the truck will be released.
'He is going to be without an income for months while trying to get over the anguish of the accident.'
Mr Edie will not be able to claim insurance until he knows whether his truck will be released.
In the case that he is able to claim insurance, Ms Rasborek said 'it may not even pay out enough to buy another truck and will leave them severely financially impacted'.
Mr Edie's sister Samantha Rasborsek created a GoFundMe page for her hero brother to help him pay bills while he is unable to work
The aunt of Kate Leadbetter revealed her father John is in a 'state of shock' after losing his beloved daughter who was six months pregnant
If Mr Edie decides to buy a new truck, it will also take months to customise, putting further pressure on him and his parents, who own the business.
'I'm trying to do what I can to help him be able to continue to pay his bills and support his family and to also help my parents business stay afloat,' Ms Rasborek said.
'Without the truck they cannot do the work required to pay him and it leaves my father working double in the only remaining truck to keep the company afloat in an already difficult time.
'Reliable Towing is a small family business that has helped many out in their time of need when they have been involved in traffic accidents so please let's help them now they need help.'
The GoFundMe page has already raised $22,986 of its humble $1,000 goal.
Ms Rasborek's fundraiser comes after news the heartbroken father of Ms Leadbetter, who died in the crash, is unable to speak about his daughter's death.
The Toyota LandCruiser that the teenager was allegedly driving lies damaged at the scene of the horror crash around 5.30pm on Tuesday. Moments earlier it had allegedly been used in a road rage incident on a nearby road
As the community grapples with the horrific incident, Ms Leadbetter's aunt revealed her father John is in a 'state of shock' after losing his beloved daughter, who was six months pregnant and excited to become a mother for the first time.
'John is just in shock - he can't even talk,' Danielle Leadbetter told the Courier Mail.
'The whole family is in exactly the same state. It's a state of shock.'
Ms Leadbetter has been campaigning for justice since the fatal crash and bravely paid tribute to her niece during a moving vigil on Wednesday night.
She said the toughest part was knowing her family never got to say goodbye to Kate.
'If someone is sick and you know that they're going to die, you can prepare for that. You can't prepare for a tragedy like this,' she said.
In another blow for the family, leading lawyers have since revealed the 17-year-old could face just ten years behind bars if found guilty over the murders due to his young age.
Under Queensland law, adults convicted of a double murder receive an automatic life prison sentence, but those under 18 can walk free in just ten years.
However Queensland criminal lawyer, Bill Potts, said there was a chance prosecutors could argue for an extremely rare loophole.
The couple (pictured with their dogs Django and Frankie) had recently shared a photo of them holding an ultrasound of their baby
The teenager (pictured, left and right) had shared boastful photos online of him including one posing next to what appeared to be a machete
This would allow a judge to impose a life sentence on a young offender if the nature of their crime was 'particularly heinous'.
'He faces a sentence of up to ten years if convicted or if the court finds that the offending is heinous then he can receive a jail sentence of up to life imprisonment but they do not define what heinous is,' Mr Potts told the publication.
The lawyer said that to his knowledge, no child in Queensland had been sentenced to life behind bars.
Adults who are found guilty of a double murder in the state are given life sentences and must serve 30 years before being eligible for parole.
Mr Potts said if the alleged driver reaches 19 before the case is finalised he could be tried as an adult.
The 17-year-old's case will be heard again in court at the end of March.
In one photo, the accused stood shirtless holding a large bundle of $50 notes in front of the camera
Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field had been dating for more than four years and were expecting their first child
Images have since surfaced from the teenager's Instagram account showing him posing with a bundle of $50 notes.
In other photos, he can be seen posing with a drink in his hand next to a BMW and beside what appears to be the handle of a machete.
Some showed him with a bumbag around his waist or with a large watch on his wrist.
It's believed he was on bail for up to 50 unrelated offences at the time of the crash.
The teen was also allegedly involved in another traffic incident just minutes before the fatal collision.
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said even the most hardened members of the force had been rocked by the tragedy.
'We, the police department, along with our community, are hurting. Dealing with this sort of tragedy - which is preventable - is incredibly frustrating,' he told the Today show on Thursday.
The shattered aunt and uncle of Ms Leadbetter, Danielle and Jason Leadbetter (pictured at the vigil on Wednesday), said they would always remember their 'beautiful' niece
'I'm limited by law by what I can . I'm not going to compromise our investigation and prosecution.
'The reality of it is... It's something that does my head in.
'I am angry. I'm angry and my people are angry. They're frustrated and they're heartbroken... Can you imagine going and telling a family about the loss of a loved one? It has an impact on our people but we're providing them enormous support.'
Locals banded together on Wednesday night at a vigil on the corner of Finucane and Vienna Road - the intersection where the parents-to-be tragically lost their lives.
Countless bouquets of flowers and teddy bears were laid at the scene while loved ones bravely spoke out about the loss of the couple.
Ms Leadbetter, who was six months pregnant, is understood to have been working as an interior stylist while her partner worked in fabrications.
The young couple had recently shared a photo of their baby's ultrasound as they stood proudly in front of a Christmas tree.
The pair were supposed to become parents for the first time in just a few months.
Locals banded together on Wednesday night at a vigil on the corner of Finucane and Vienna Road - the intersection where the parents-to-be tragically lost their lives
Countless bouquets of flowers and teddy bears were laid at the scene while loved ones bravely spoke out about the loss of the couple