Jockey, 24, is killed in crash after passers-by desperately tried to save her as tributes pour in for rising star

RISING jockey Bronte Simpson has tragically been killed in a horror car crash.

The Australian athlete died in a single-car accident on Monday night, the New South Wales (NSW) Police department confirmed.

Authorities revealed Simpson was driving her SUV when it veered off the highway and hit a tree.

The tragic accident is said to have taken place on the Castlereagh Highway, 80km outside Dubbo.

Officials confirmed she died at the scene.

NSW Police said a member of the public called the emergency services after spotting her crashed car.

An official said: “A woman died when her SUV left the highway and hit a tree about 80km north-west of Dubbo overnight.

Emergency services were called to the Castlereagh Highway after a passing motorist saw the crashed vehicle.

“Passers-by assisted the driver; however, the woman, believed to be aged in her 20s, died at the scene.”

NSW Jockeys’ Association boss Tony Crisafi said the Australian racing community was devastated to learn about Simpson’s tragic death.

Paying touching tributes, Crisafi said: “We’ve lost a member of our family in this devastating and tragic event.

“We have been left devastated by the news. On behalf of the association and our fellow jockeys we extend our heartfelt condolences to Bronte’s family.

“In our ranks we have a lot of young female riders, many of whom Bronte was very close with and it has hit them the hardest.

“The association will wrap its arms around them and make sure we put the right support around them to deal with this tragic event.”

Simpson was a rising star in the world of horse racing.

Before her death, she had ridden 14 winners, seven of those under her master Jane Clement, to whom she was very close.

In 2023, Simpson suffered significant facial injuries after being kicked by a horse while working at a breaking-in facility on the Central Coast, Racenet reports.

She was left with a broken jaw, but the young athlete vowed to keep going.

She said at the time: “There was no way I was going to quit,” Simpson said at the time.

“I love the industry and always wanted to become a jockey.”

Tributes are now flooding in on social media after fans learned about Simpson’s tragic death.

One fan said: “Oh my gosh I cannot believe it, so tragic, condolences to the Simpson family.”  

Another user wrote: ‘Well loved in the community, living her dream and on her way to the top: forever missed.”

It comes just days after a teenage aspiring jockey died after being violently thrown from his horse during the final moments of his race in Brazil.

Apprentice jockey Joaquim Pavoski Dapper, 16, was competing at the Gávea Hippodrome in Rio de Janeiro when he suddenly lost balance and was hurled from the saddle.

The teenager hit the track hard only metres before the finish line.