Hero doctor relives the horrific moment an evil father burnt his family alive and killed himself - and the gut-wrenching lie he told the dying mother in her final moments
- Hannah Clarke, 31, and her three kids were murdered by her estranged husband
- Rowan Baxter, 42, ambushed their car in Camp Hill, Brisbane, and set it alight
- Aaliyah, 6, Lainah, 4, and Trey, 3, died at the scene - Hannah died in hospital
- QAS medical director Dr Stephen Rashford responded to the horrific scene
- He raced between treating Hannah and Baxter, who stabbed himself in the chest
- Dr Rashford told Hannah: I'm not going to let you die' despite knowing she would
A hero doctor whispered to a mother 'I'm not going to let you die' after her estranged husband doused his family in petrol and set them alight before turning a knife on himself.
Rowan Baxter, 42, ambushed his ex wife Hannah Clarke, 31, and their children Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, while they did a school run in Camp Hill in Brisbane's south in February 2020.
He set the car on fire, leaving his children to burn to death inside, while Hannah jumped from the driver's seat covered in petrol and severe burns.
Baxter stood outside the flaming car branding a knife to stop bystanders from helping the children, before thrusting it through his abdomen into his heart, while Hannah lay 100 metres away in the street.
Hannah Clarke (pictured with children Trey, Aaliyah and Laianah) was murdered by her estranged husband Rowan Baxter
Hero doctor Stephen Rashford revealed the gut-wrenching lie he told to Hannah - 'I'm not going to let you die' - as she was treated for horrific burns he knew she would not survive
Queensland Ambulance Service Medical Director Dr Stephen Rashford ran between the monster who had killed his family in a horrific act of violence and the dying mother, advising teams of paramedics on how to save both their lives.
'You had Hannah at one end and you had the perpetrator at the other end,' Dr Rashford told the Courier Mail.
'Baxter was dark and sometimes when people are dark it’s hard to work out how burnt they are. Whereas, looking at Hannah, she was obviously burnt. Everything but the soles of her feet.'
Due to the severity of the incident, Dr Rashford had been called in to work with the High Acuity Response Unit and other paramedics.
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Emergency teams were aware of what Baxter had done and felt conflicted, but had to remain professional and treat the mass murderer, who had entered cardiac arrest.
As paramedics cut open his chest to try and save his life, Hannah was awake and talking to firefighters and paramedics who had her lying on a stretcher, gently cooling her burns with water.
Dr Rashford advised the paramedics to give Hannah anaesthetic to prevent her from swelling because of her injuries, which could obstruct her airways.
He then bolted down the road to speak to Mark Disney, the HARU paramedic, who was treating Baxter, where he advised the same treatment before dashing back to the dying mother.
Dr Rashford stood beside her, told her how they were trying to treat her, and tried to reassure and comfort her the best he could.
Baxter stood outside the flaming car (above, the aftermath) branding a knife to stop bystanders from helping the children, before thrusting it through his abdomen into his heart
But Dr Rashford - the state's most qualified emergency responder - quickly determined Hannah had no chance of survival.
Despite knowing he could not save her, he told the mother the kindest lie he could: 'I'm not going to let you die.'
Hannah later died from her injuries in hospital - bravely holding out just long enough to tell police about her estranged husband's crimes in the hope he would be brought to justice.
But the callous killer - who had subjected Hannah to years of domestic abuse through out their murder - would never face a court room.
Instead, he died in the street - cowardly at his own hand - after paramedics battled to save him.
Pictured: A tow truck operator removes Ms Clarke's car after Baxter set it on fire in the leafy Brisbane suburb of Camp Hill
