A woman has given birth to a baby boy the day after she was seriously injured in a car crash that claimed the life of her partner.
Felicity Jessop and Tim Smith-Brown were involved in a three-vehicle smash on Friday night the fatal end to a high-speed police chase which had occurred earlier in Kambah in the ACT.
Mr Smith-Brown was driving when police tried to pull his car over at about 5.45pm. They pursued his car, but ended the chase before Mr Smith-Brown sped off through a red light, causing his car to crash into two other vehicles.
The horrific crash left one vehicle on its roof and another wrapped around a power pole. Mr Smith-Brown was killed and four people, including his heavily pregnant partner, were rushed to Canberra Hospital.
The day after the crash, Ms Jessop gave birth to the couple’s son -naming him Tim after his father.
Ms Jessop’s mother commented on a social media page set up by a friend to support the new mother and her baby.
“Despite enormous distress, Felicity is recovering her strength and is out of intensive care. She is caring for her newborn son with the help of the wonderful staff at the Canberra Hospital,” the woman said of her daughter.
“We welcomed baby Tim into the family yesterday, and our thoughts are with Tim’s family after this tragic accident and the death of their son.”
“Baby Tim was born at 10.15 last night, weighing 7 lbs.”
The page has been set up as a Go Fund Me fundraiser by Ms Jessop’s friend Samantha Hurley and has already raised a total of $1200 since being launched Sunday.
“No one in this world deserves”¦this, I thought I would start this page as she is going to need all the help she can get,” Ms Hurley wrote on the page.
“I would like to help her as she was a very good friend to me, and deserves a happy life for her and her boy as I’m sure Tim wanted.”
Amongst reeling from the sudden loss, friends and family of Mr Smith-Brown took to social media to defend their loved one after suggestions were made online that the fleeing driver deserved to die.
“The person in the red Ute did die. It was my son, you are a heartless individual,” the victim’s father, Warren Brown, wrote. “He was about to become a great father. He was an amazing son and loving caring person. Everyone makes mistakes.”
The three other victims, two of which had to be cut from their vehicles, are currently in a stable condition.