FRIENDS of a 24-year-old California Gully woman who died in a smash near Diggers Rest yesterday morning say she was a friend to everyone.
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Hailey O’Grady, 24, had pulled into an emergency lane on the Calder Freeway just after midnight when a ute crashed into the back of her car.
The car was crushed by the impact and she died at the scene. A female passenger was uninjured in the smash.
Work friends and schoolmates gathered yesterday afternoon to pay tribute to the girl who “made friends with everyone she met”.
“You only had to meet her once to become friends with her, she was a real people person. There’s no one in Bendigo who would have a bad word to say about her,” one friend said. Friends said Hailey was an extremely bright girl who had plans to move to America.
The former Bendigo Senior Secondary student worked at Harvey Norman in Bendigo and was a big music fan who loved travelling.
“She lived in America for 12 months and was planning to go back to work there,” one friend said.
“She had an amazing future ahead of her, she was very intelligent and had an awesome personality.”
A report on Hailey’s death is being prepared for the coroner and a police investigation into the crash is continuing.
Victoria Police Major Collision Investigation Unit said they believe she had pulled over into the emergency lane to retrieve something from the back seat.
The driver of the ute, a 21-year-old East Melton man, was interviewed and released yesterday morning pending further enquiries.
Friends of Hailey, who meet for a catch-up every Tuesday, said they will be holding a special gathering this Tuesday night.
“We’ll be meeting at the Metro Puggs Mahone in her memory and we expect a lot of people will be there. She had a lot of friends that will miss her so much.”