Gumleaf
November 24th, 2008, 11:03 PM
13:18 AEST Tue Nov 25 2008
A 13-year-old girl who jumped from the back of a moving road train after hitching a ride in the Northern Territory outback has died in hospital.
She and her older sister, aged 19, hid in the back of a car transport trailer at Ti Tree on Monday morning.
They had asked the driver of the road train for a lift the night before but he refused.
The 64-year-old set off for Tennant Creek the following day but he reportedly pulled over about one kilometre north of the town when he saw what he thought was a blanket fall off the back of the vehicle.
He then saw one of the sisters jump onto the ground.
The 19-year-old suffered lacerations and was taken to Tennant Creek Hospital shortly after 10am (CST) in a stable condition.
Her younger sister suffered serious head injuries. The teenager was stabilised at Tennant Creek Hospital before a rescue flight took her to Alice Springs.
Police said she died about 2am on Tuesday.
Her death brings the Territory road toll to 71 compared to 47 for the same period last year.
The distressed driver of the road train went into shock after seeing the injured girls lying on the road.
He was taken to Tennant Creek where he remained on Tuesday morning undergoing treatment, police said.
It is understood the girls were attempting to get from their home at Ti Tree to Tennant Creek to visit family.
A 13-year-old girl who jumped from the back of a moving road train after hitching a ride in the Northern Territory outback has died in hospital.
She and her older sister, aged 19, hid in the back of a car transport trailer at Ti Tree on Monday morning.
They had asked the driver of the road train for a lift the night before but he refused.
The 64-year-old set off for Tennant Creek the following day but he reportedly pulled over about one kilometre north of the town when he saw what he thought was a blanket fall off the back of the vehicle.
He then saw one of the sisters jump onto the ground.
The 19-year-old suffered lacerations and was taken to Tennant Creek Hospital shortly after 10am (CST) in a stable condition.
Her younger sister suffered serious head injuries. The teenager was stabilised at Tennant Creek Hospital before a rescue flight took her to Alice Springs.
Police said she died about 2am on Tuesday.
Her death brings the Territory road toll to 71 compared to 47 for the same period last year.
The distressed driver of the road train went into shock after seeing the injured girls lying on the road.
He was taken to Tennant Creek where he remained on Tuesday morning undergoing treatment, police said.
It is understood the girls were attempting to get from their home at Ti Tree to Tennant Creek to visit family.