Young Australian woman killed in Kuta crash, making her the 4th Aussie to die in motorbike accident in Bali in just over a year

Australian woman Sophia Maritni, aged 27. Photo via Facebook
Australian woman Sophia Maritni, aged 27. Photo via Facebook

An Australian woman was killed in an accident in Kuta, Bali after falling off the back of her boyfriend’s scooter.

Queensland woman Sophia Martini died early on Monday morning, making her the fourth Australian on record to perish from a motorbike accident on the island in just over a year’s time.

The 27-year-old was riding on the back of a motorbike driven by her boyfriend, Steele Nugent, when they crashed and she was thrown from the bike. The pair had been on holiday in Bali to attend a friend’s wedding. 

Martini suffered severe head injuries from the fall and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Denpasar, according to an Australian 9 News report.

Both Martini and her boyfriend are said to have been wearing helmets at the time of the accident. 9News footage shows scraped up helmets and a motorbike with a broken handlebar. 

Nugent, who was detained by police for questioning then later released, is reportedly not allowed to leave Bali yet. The 28-year-old was not seriously injured in the accident.

Other Australians killed in motorbike accidents in Bali over the past couple years include Ella Knight, 26, who had posted an Instagram video tagged #nohelmet, just days before her untimely death in April 2017. Lochie Connaughton, 16, died in a crash in Kuta last year, while Adrian Newton, 42, crashed into a garbage truck in May 2016.



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