The Princes Hwy has again split a family apart after a man died in an accident on the way to pick up his terminally ill wife from hospital.Relatives of Eric Clark, of Narooma, yesterday told how the 49-year-old's car hit a large gum tree on Sunday as he travelled to see his wife at Moruya Hospital and fulfil her dying wish to be at home as her health deteriorated.The accident will potentially leave the couple's two children, believed to be aged 12 and 15, as orphans.That it happened when the victim was already facing tragic family circumstances has eerie similarities to another death on the section of the Princes Hwy south of Batemans Bay.In 2007, Vicki Peterson, 54, was killed in a car accident 20km south of Narooma.She had been on the way to visit the grave of her son Darren, 18, who had died eight months earlier, also in a Princes Hwy accident.Sunday's accident also had another tragic twist. The professional photographer who snapped the accident from the air is related to the victim.Lance Fearne was doing work in aerial photography when he got word of the accident involving his former brother in-law."This is just so tragic because Eric was on his way to Moruya Hospital to collect his terminally ill wife Vicky," Mr Fearne said from his Queanbeyan home yesterday."She was diagnosed with lung cancer about a fortnight ago and her final wish was to die at home."Mr Clark was a well-known figure in Narooma.He lived with his wife and their two children, while Mr Clark's older daughter also lived nearby."Although I have been separated from his sister for almost 10 years, Eric was a very nice man and we had remained good friends," Mr Fearne said.Police said the accident happened about 7.10am, when Mr Clark lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a large gum tree on the western side of the highway.Mr Fearne is employed by the NSW Department of Commerce to photograph progress on a new water pipeline between Moruya and Batemans Bay."When I was told it was Eric I just had to fly over the scene and photograph it," Mr Fearne said."The accident occurred on a straight stretch of road which would have been familiar to Eric."He had not been driving for very long but was a careful driver."Whether he had a heart attack, fell asleep, or was forced to swerve to miss wildlife no-one knows and will probably never know."This is just such a tragedy for the entire family," he said.Mr Fearne's eldest son Matthew said he had been called about the accident early on Sunday morning and immediately left for the hospital.But Mr Clark had died at the scene.