Home and Away actor Jessica Falkholt has died in hospital a week after a funeral was held in Sydney for her sister and parents, who were in the same horrific Boxing Day car crash.
The 29-year-old had been in a critical condition in St George hospital after being pulled from the wreckage on 26 December on the New South Wales south coast along with her 21-year-old sister Annabelle, who later died.
Jessica died in hospital at 10.20am on Wednesday, the hospital said. On Friday it confirmed her life support had been turned off.
“On behalf of the family of Jessica Falkholt, St George hospital has been asked to advise the media and the community of Jessica’s passing today at 10.20am,” Wednesday’s statement said.
“The family has asked for privacy during this very difficult time.”
The Falkholts’ family car was hit by a four-wheel drive near Ulladulla on 26 December. The sisters were pulled from the wreckage before it erupted in flames with the bodies of their parents – Lars and Vivian – inside.
The driver of the four-wheel-drive, 50-year-old Craig Whitall, was reportedly travelling home from a Nowra methadone clinic. He too died in the collision.
Jessica found fame on the small screen as Hope Morrison in Home and Away, with the long-running TV soap paving the way for her feature film debut in the forthcoming supernatural thriller Harmony.
Following reports her life support had been turned off, Home and Away tweeted: “Rest in peace, beautiful Jessica Falkholt.”
A star of the show, James Stewart, tweeted “RIP Falkholt family” late on Thursday night.
“You are a beautifully deep and incredibly unique soul I had the pleasure of knowing … I will always miss you,” fellow Home and Away actor Jackson Heywood wrote on Instagram.
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report