A couple who went missing with their three young children on Christmas Day has been found dead after their car crashed in country Western Australia, police have confirmed.
Their children, aged five, two and two months old, were found alive at the scene of the crash. The two-month-old baby has suffered serious injuries, police say.
Cindy Braddock, 25, and her partner, Jake Day, 28, left Northam at 1am Christmas Day to travel with their three children.
The family were reported missing after they did not arrive home, with their car found about 10 kilometres from their Kondinin home on Tuesday.
Their three children were found alive at the scene and were taken to Perth for medical treatment.
Inspector Tony Vuleta, of the Wheatbelt District office, said the two older children were found outside the vehicle, but the baby was still inside.
The car had been found by a family member who was out searching. The car is believed to have skidded off the road and into bushes, where it was hidden out of sight of passing cars.
WA police are investigating how the crash happened and Vuleta said police had been supporting the family of the deceased.
“They’re understandably very upset and traumatised by it but we’re offering support services,” he said.
On Monday, Braddock’s sister, Helen, posted on Facebook that the family were missing and appealed for help finding them.
“My sister and her partner have been missing since Christmas Day,” she wrote.
“Has anyone seen Jake Day or Cindy Braddock since Christmas Day [?] … [They] left Northam to go home to Kondinin but haven’t made it home and haven’t made contact with anybody since.”
