HORROR DEATH
A FORMER rugby star who died alongside his three kids in an horrific car fire posted a series of loving tributes to them in the weeks before the inferno.
Rowan Baxter and his young children Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey - all aged under ten - were trapped in the car as it erupted in flames as police suggested the fire could have been started 'deliberately'.
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Their mum Hannah, who jumped from the wreckage and was rushed to hospital with "significant burns", succumbed to her injuries and died hours later, Queensland police confirmed.
She was heard yelling "he's poured petrol on me" as she "rolled on the footpath in flames", The Australian reported after the ordeal took place at around 8.20pm yesterday in Brisbane, Australia.
Police confirmed the three children tragically perished at the scene of the fire along with ex-New Zealand Warrior Rowan.
The dad had been flooding his social media feeds with tributes and loving posts in the weeks before the fatal fire.
One photo showed him with his young baby along with the caption, “Goodnight my babies. Dad loves you.”
Another post read: “T-R-E-Y. Love you to the moon and back #daddy.”
And last month he posted a video of him messing around with the kids with the caption, “sweet dreams my babies. Love you to the moon”.
Detective Inspector Mark Thompson wouldn't be drawn on how the fire was started as it is too early to tell but some reports suggest it may have been started deliberately.
A witness has said they watched the former rugby star jump into the car after setting it alight while his wife was on the school run with their three young children.
Neighbour, Aaron Snell, told the Courier Mail, that Baxter was in 'all manner of states' and jumped into the flaming car to grab a knife as bystanders tried to help.
He claims that the dad-of-three was angry at those trying to save the children trapped in the fire and 'protested to stop putting it out'.
Nine News reports that Baxter died of self-inflicted stab wounds but police would not confirm this and said his body was found outside of the vehicle.
According to the news site, he was also spotted filling up a jerry can with fuel at a local service station before the incident took place.
DI Thompson added: "How the fire actually occurred has not been ascertained at the moment, so for us to call it a murder-suicide or a tragic accident, it’s inappropriate at this stage."
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Horrified locals ran out of their homes after hearing a bang that sounded like a gas bottle exploding, according to reports.
Emergency services were called to Raven Street in the Camp Hill area where the family are thought to live, to find the car engulfed in flames.
A good Samaritan who risked his own life to save the children was also taken to hospital with burns to his face and hands.
One witness told The Courier Mail: how the mum's skin was "peeling off her" as she held her hands up.
They added: "She was awake and conscious and completely aware of what had happened.
"It was really quite horrific.”
One man who lives about 20 metres from where the car now sits burnt out said he had spoken to witnesses who saw the incident unfold.
He said: "According to them this vehicle that’s obviously burnt pulled up beside them and the lady yelled out, ‘he’s poured petrol on me’.
“Next minute, about four other explosions. Apparently there’s some young kids in the car.
“By that time you couldn’t get near the vehicle, unless you had a proper suit on, you were just no hope.
“Some young trade blokes down the road they came and out some timber or something to stop the vehicle going further because it actually rolled across the road from here to there.
“The young lady was rolling on the footpath on flames.”
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The Courier Mail reports how Rowan and Hannah had been locked in a custody battle - with all his recent Facebook posts revolving around his love for his children.
The pair, who both worked as fitness coaches, are understood to have recently split up.
Family friend, Brain Cavanagh, told Nine News that Hannah had recently moved back in with her parents
Emergency services are attending multiple crime scenes and the situation is still in its early stages.
Witnesses filmed firefighters putting out what appears to be a vehicle engulfed in smoke on the residential road.
The burned-out car has since been covered in orange plastic sheeting as police started their investigation.
A New Zealand Warriors spokesman said Rowan was in their NRL squad in 2005.
He added: "Rowan didn’t play an NRL match. He was in our full-time NRL squad in 2005. He played in NRL trials".
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A statement released by Queensland Police said: "Police can confirm a 31-year-old woman involved in a fatal vehicle fire at Camp Hill this morning has died.
The woman succumbed to her injuries at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital early this evening.
Two girls aged six and four along with a three-year-old boy were located deceased inside the vehicle on Raven Street around 8:30am.
A 42-year-old man was also pronounced deceased and investigations surrounding the events which unfolded at the scene are continuing."
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