Family of woman killed by a boom gate refuse to blame carpark operators

The family of a woman killed in a freak boom gate in a Gold Coast shopping centre carpark have spoken of their grief.

Jo Shintah, 61, an accomplished dancer who appeared in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, died on August 3 while trying to remove a ticket from a booth at Pacific Fair carpark.

It is understood Ms Shintah - who was preparing to fly to Europe the following morning - accidently pushed the accelerator, slamming her head into the ticket machine.

Paramedics attempted to revive the woman but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pacific Fair recently introduced paid parking as part of a $670 million redevelopment.

Ms Shintah’s family described her in a statement as a "larger than life personality" and a competitive ballroom dancer.

"She was always passionate and enthusiastic about her interests and inspired a wide network of people across the world. Her loss has been keenly felt by her friends and colleagues both locally and internationally as well as [by] her family," Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

The 61-year-old's family said they would not place blame on the carpark's management until they received a full coroner's report.