Source : Perth Now news
A selfless first responder to a double fatal head-on collision near Shark Bay has recounted how she spoke quiet, gentle words to one of the drivers involved in the tragedy before they took their final breath.
Sandy Winkle was on her way home to Dunsborough from a holiday in Shark Bay when a RAM ute towing a caravan and Toyota LandCruiser ute collided on North West Coastal Highway at Hamelin Pool, about 20km south of Overlander Roadhouse, about 11.30am on Monday.
The RAM driver, a 60-year-old man, and the 45-year-old male Toyota driver died at the scene.
In the aftermath of the collision, Ms Winkle raced to one of the vehicles to help in the only way she knew how.
“It wasn’t a good scenario to come across,” she told The West.
“As a first responder it’s hard to know what to do if you have no medical background, so we thought, as a lot of us did, to stand out of the way and let the people who knew what to do help.”
Not wanting the driver to feel alone, Ms Winkle offered words of calm and reassurance.
“I did try to give the man some emotional help as there wasn’t too much anyone could do,” she said.
“I just kept reassuring him that help was on the way. Really, I was there so he wasn’t on his own.”
Ms Winkle stood back when emergency crews arrived and the man died a short time later.
The harrowing tragedy has understandably taken its toll on Ms Winkle.
“It’s been quite hard to be honest, I’ll get some support when I get home, I think,” she said.
A 12-year-old boy and a woman in her 50s were airlifted from the scene to Perth with critical injuries. Both are in stable conditions.
The fatalities came as a stark reminder of the dangers on the road.
“Thinking of all the families involved as they were probably on a family trip north like so many of us,” Ms Winkle said.
“It only takes 30 seconds of not watching the road for your life to change in an instant.”
Premier Roger Cook on Tuesday offered condolences to loved ones of the victims.
“It’s incredibly sad. And I just want our hearts go out to the families and friends and the community involved,” he said.
“Our thanks and appreciation goes to the first responders who are literally there as we speak, trying to deal with the aftermath of that particular event.”
The climbing road toll, he added, was “not good enough”.
“I could say to you that you know per capita deaths on our roads have reduced, but that’s not good enough,” Mr Cook said.
“Any death on our roads is one death too many and so we’ll continue to invest in in our road our road infrastructure funding process to continue to make our roads safer.”
Major crash investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has footage of either vehicle travelling in the area beforehand, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online.
