'His dogs didn’t leave his side': Resident near site of Andrew Symonds' fatal accident

Former Australian cricketing superstar Andrew Symonds died in a tragic car accident on Saturday near Townsville in Queensland, Australia. The all-rounder died aged 46 after his car rolled off Harvey Range Road. He was travelling with his two pet dogs, who survived the accident and are now being cared for by the family of an Australian cricketer. According to reports, emergency responders tried to revive Symonds but he died due to serious injuries. 

Residents who live in the nearby area were the first to arrive at the accident scene. According to 7NEWS, when people arrived at the accident site, they discovered the car upside down with Symonds still inside, the engine running, and the radio on. The two pet dogs were also present, according to witnesses, and refused to leave Symonds' side. As per the report, residents learned about the crash after hearing a loud noise. 

"The car was upside down with him under it. It was still running, the radio was still on. His dogs didn’t want to leave his side. We tried to pull them off," Babetha Neliman, one of the first people to reach the accident site, was quoted as saying by 7NEWS. 

Symonds' wife speaks about ordeal

Symonds is survived by his wife, Laura, and two young children named, Chloe and Billy. Laura told the Courier Mail that they are still in shock and are trying to process what has happened. Laura went on to explain that all she can think about right now is the two kids and how the tragedy will affect them. Laura also paid tribute to her late husband, describing him as an "extremely chilled operator" who always had time for everyone.

Symonds was part of the mighty Australian side that won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003 and 2007. He was a prolific run-scorer for Australia for a very long period of time and was also a formidable all-rounder with brilliant fielding skills. After news of Symonds' demise became public this morning, fellow cricketers from all over the world turned to social media to pay their tributes. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, and legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar are amongst those who expressed dismay at the news. 

Image: AndrewSymonds/Insta