Baby orphaned by car crash

A 13-DAY-OLD premature Australian baby is an orphan after her parents were killed in a car crash while driving home from visiting her in hospital.

Australia's Daily Telegraph said Justin Schollbach and Leah James were killed last Tuesday after one of their twice-daily visits to daughter Lucy at Sydney's Royal Hospital for Women.

Lucy Schollbach was born 12 weeks premature on September 1, weighing just 2.9lbs. She was the couple's first child.

The newspaper reported yesterday that 33-year-old James had five other children, aged six to 15.

The baby is expected to stay in hospital until November. She is under the care of a government department until it is decided who will raise her.

The couple's funerals will be held next week.