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Perth Now
16 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Horror crash traumatises Perth grandma now ‘scared to drive'
A Perth grandmother who has spent the past week fighting for her life in hospital after a traumatising multi-vehicle crash has regained consciousness, taken her first independent breath and has sworn she will never drive again. Susan Eyden was driving with her granddaughter, Gracee Thompson, sat in the backseat of her car when it was involved in a fatal crash with three other vehicles on Albany Highway, near Cooke Road, in Mt Cooke about 2.45pm on July 7. The crash took the lives of two 83-year-olds and injured six others. Ms Eyden was on her way to Port Kennedy from Albany, where Gracee lives, with the youngster looking forward to spending the first week of school holidays at her Nanna and Pop's house. Perth grandmother, Susan Eyden, with daughter Delta. Credit: Supplied Ms Eyden, 70, was much worse off undergoing three surgeries to repair damage to her intestines, skull, ribs and collar bones. As she continues to recover, she told The West Australian the accident has scarred her and she 'will not be driving again'. 'I am thankful I am still alive and Gracee is back home and OK,' she said. 'People need to take more care when they're on the road. Police say they rushed to the scene after reports a grey Ford Falcon, a silver MG3, a white BMW E53 and a Volvo truck towing three trailers collided on Albany Highway. Credit: Supplied 'I would prefer to rely on the train or my family to get around after everything that has happened.' Ms Eyden's husband, Ted Thompson spent every waking moment by his wife's hospital bedside as she lay unconscious for nearly a week. Mr Thompson, a 27-year veteran of WA Police, said nothing could have prepared him for the past few days, almost losing the people he loves most. 'Devastated doesn't cover it,' he said through tears on Thursday. 'Susan and Gracee are such beautiful souls, seeing them like this . . . it hurts.' 'I have had people die in my arms and seen all sorts of carnage, but when it's your own family, it's a different story, no one prepares you for this. Nothing about being a police officer prepared me for this.' On Monday, Ms Eyden took her first independent breath since the crash, a moment Mr Thompson described as 'relieving' and 'special.' 'We took a big step forward on Monday,' he said. 'Sue is now breathing on her own. She's even able to whisper a little, and while she's still very sore, we are relieved and happy. 'Sue has improved and has now been moved out of ICU into the trauma ward for the next stage of her recovery — a big step forward and very welcome news. A special moment.' Mr Thompson, who served as a traffic officer during his career, has condemned police and politicians for failing to prioritise WA's shameful road toll. The toll this year now stands at 118. The Road Safety Commission last week confirmed the State has recorded its highest number of deaths by this time of year in 18 years. 'With today's vehicles being so technologically advanced — with safety built in — the road toll should be low, there is simply too many crashes,' Mr Thompson said. Gracee was looking forward to spending the first week of school holidays at Nana and Pops house in Port Kennedy but has instead spent the week in hospital with a broken collar bone and a concussion. Credit: Supplied Mr Thompson said there needs to be 'more visible police.' 'We need more cameras, more police officers, more motorbikes,' he said. 'When I first joined the job, I was on the bikes, and we had a lot of bikes in Perth traffic, we were everywhere, we were all over them like a rash, and things weren't too bad . . . we never saw bad driver behaviour on this level. 'Now everyone is in a rush and has a bad attitude to driving . . . people are constantly pushing in front of people to go faster, people make bad decisions, do stupid things and nothing happens, no consequences.' Mr Thompson added: 'People might not like the police, but they slow down for them. 'Everyone knows that you see a police car or coppers in uniform, whether they're doing RBTs or speed cameras or pulling people over or whatever, that has a calming effect on people. 'As much as Col Blanch and Roger Cook would say, 'we've budgeted this', and 'we do that' there's just not enough police on the road. 'What has happened to my family is not an isolated incident, it's a common thread through our driving and it's terrible because it could be prevented.' Ted Thompson nearly lost his wife and granddaughter in car crash outside Royal Perth Hospital in Perth. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian A WA Government spokesperson disagreed with Mr Thompson saying there are 'more police officers on our roads than ever before in history' without acknowledging the increase in the number of road-users. 'Police have conducted record-high levels of enforcement activities in direct response to the high road toll and will continue to actively enforce road laws,' the spokesperson said. 'Our Government has invested more than $30 million to boost regional road safety with two new drug and alcohol buses and a fleet of highly-visible highway patrol cars.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Drivers blinded after trunk dumps wall of cement on Tonkin Highway, WA
Drivers were momentarily blinded when a truck malfunctioned and dumped a wall of concrete on their windscreens on a major highway. The truck was carrying building material on the Tonkin Highway on Friday, which runs through Perth, when the tailgate opened as it went over a bump. A wave of cement poured from the vehicle and splattered on several windshields. Tyler, the driver of a Subaru WRX, said it felt like an 'out of body' experience when he temporarily lost sight of the road while travelling behind the truck. 'In the moment looking back on it, it was quite a shock. I've never seen anything happen like that before,' the 26-year-old told 7News on Saturday. 'I was thinking about swerving or anything, but I kept my cool and it was really an out of body experience. I didn't think it was that bad until I actually saw what the remains were on the car.' Even after cleaning his Subaru, Tyler said the windshield was still chipped and the paint was damaged. The truck kept driving but he used his dashcam to take down the numberplate. He said the incident has been reported to WA Police. Daily Mail Australia has contacted police and Main Roads WA for comment. The right lane of southbound traffic before the Great Eastern Highway was closed for more than two hours during the clean-up.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘She needed help': Family says Perth baby's death was preventable
Relatives of a baby who died after allegedly being stabbed to death by his mother say more could have been done to help the family. Jacinta Beth Sells, 31, is charged with murdering her seven-month-old son early on Monday morning in what police allege is a domestic violence homicide. Paramedics were unable to save the infant, who was allegedly found with stab wounds. Police confirmed other family members were present at the time, including a 13-year-old girl who called the police. A spokeswoman for Ms Sells' family told The West that Ms Sells had been regularly visited by the Department of Communities, including just a few days before the alleged murder. 'We met with the Department of Communities yesterday and we told them we were disappointed that they failed,' the family spokeswoman said. 'We affirmed our disappointment in the prior management and support. They visited her on the Thursday or Friday. We asked for the case notes from the visit, and they couldn't produce any. 'She (Jacinta) was doing the best she could in circumstances that most people couldn't imagine – she needed help and was never given the support that she deserved.' The spokeswoman said Ms Sells had recently been struggling with parenting difficulties. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the family had been 'deeply affected' by the baby's death. 'This is a trauma that no one will ever recover from, the family are deeply affected,' he said. 'There would be very few cases where you would have a crime scene of such a horrific nature for our officers and for first responders involved.' WA Premier Roger Cook described the incident as 'incredibly sad and horrible stuff'. 'Our hearts go out to everyone involved in that,' he said.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Lost backpacker could get ‘serious money' from survival tale
Celebrity publicist Max Markson says German backpacker Carolina Wilga could earn 'serious money' if she decides to sell her harrowing survival story to a media outlet. Ms Wilga was discharged from Fiona Stanley Hospital on Wednesday, five days after she was miraculously found after spending almost a fortnight lost in WA's Wheatbelt region. The 26-year-old spent 12 days on foot and survived by drinking water from puddles and sleeping in a cave, before she was spotted by a passing local. Mr Markson described Ms Wilga's remarkable feat as an 'incredible story' and said it would likely attract international media attention. The 26-year-old backpacker was micraculously found on Friday after nearly a fortnight lost in WA's Wheatbelt region. Credit: WA Police / WA Police 'I think she could definitely sell the story here in Australia, she could definitely sell it in Germany, and she could probably sell it in America, New Zealand and the UK,' he told The West Australian. 'She's definitely worth serious money and she should capitalise it for her sake.' Mr Markson said people were eager to hear Ms Wilga's survival story, but said her first priority was to make a full recovery. 'People want to hear her story, there's no doubt about that . . . she's so young and it will benefit her in the long term,' he said. 'I'm not saying she has to do interviews all the time, but she should capitalise on it — the fact that she's alive (means) she can earn serious money. 'She's got to sort herself out (and feel better) because it's a really hard experience that she's gone through.' Ms Wilga was discharged from Fiona Stanley Hospital on Wednesday, five days after being found. Credit: WA POLICE Mr Markson has been behind some of the country's biggest TV deals, including Nine's controversial rumoured $2 million payment to Cleo Smith's family for her story about her 18-day kidnapping ordeal. In a statement earlier this week, Ms Wilga thanked the WA community for their dedicated search efforts. 'I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support,' she said. 'The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments. For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. 'Especially to the police investigators, searchers, the German Consulate, the medical staff and the wonderful nurses who took care of me with so much compassion. 'My deepest thanks also go to every single person who simply thought of me – and of course, to my rescuer and angel, Tania.' On Monday night, Ms Wilga posted photographs from her hospital bed surrounded by food gifted to her by the German Consulate. The 26-year-old returned to social media on Monday night. Credit: Unknown / Instagram 'When you need to gain 12 kilograms back,' the photo caption read.
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- SBS Australia
How to stay safe when exploring the Australian outback
Authorities and experts are urging travellers in Australia to follow critical safety and survival measures when venturing into remote areas. It follows the case of a young German backpacker who was recently found after surviving in the vast West Australian outback for 11 nights. Carolina Wilga, who hit her head after losing control of her van, wandered away from the vehicle and battled freezing temperatures and scarce resources before being found on Friday. What happened to Carolina Wilga? The 26-year-old was missing for 12 days in remote Western Australia. Her disappearance triggered a nationwide search after pleas from her family when they had not heard from her and became concerned for her safety. Her van was found bogged in mud with mechanical issues the day before Wilga was found by a member of the public. Wilga was taken to a Perth hospital, where she is being treated for dehydration and minor injuries. While lost in the bush, she slept in a cave and survived by drinking from rainwater and puddles on the ground. She said she had abandoned her vehicle in a state of confusion after hitting her head when she lost control of her van. Preparation and communication If you're planning a trip in the Australian outback, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself safe. Senior constable Jim Armstrong, from the WA Police Emergency Operations Unit, said research and preparation are key. This includes researching your route, selecting the appropriate clothing and equipment, and having sufficient mapping and navigation aids, such as offline maps, in case you become lost. Armstrong said it is also important to consider challenges you may face on your journey, such as weather conditions or mechanical issues. Armstrong also advised making sure your vehicle is suitable for the journey you intend to take. "We often see people attempting to do some serious four-wheel drive off-road adventures in their commuter vehicles, which are just totally unsuitable for the conditions," he said. "So it's important that your vehicle is suitable and it's also mechanically sound and checked out before you leave." He also suggested packing spare tires, fuel, basic tools, food and water, and an emergency beacon. In addition to preparation and research, Armstrong said the most critical thing to do is ensure that someone has a detailed itinerary of your travel plans and intended time frames, including when you will next be in contact with them. "Now we understand that often people are off-grid and they're out in the bush, so it may be some days before anyone's expecting to hear from you," he said. "The issue we have is that people get themselves in trouble and it might be five, six, seven days before anyone is even told that people are missing. And [those days] could be critical to a person's life." The TREK method for bush survival Caro Ryan is the Bush Search and Rescue deputy unit commander at the NSW State Emergency Service. She said she recommends the TREK method for adventure seekers looking to travel in Australia. The T stands for "take everything you need", including food and water. "Take a little bit extra, you don't know if you're going to get delayed. Take a first aid kit, take some warm layers of clothes, take a map and a compass or a good way of navigating — you might have a digital app, something like that," she said. She said a power bank for a mobile phone is essential, while a paper map is helpful, and there are good packing lists available online. The R in TREK is for register your intention,"which is really just a fancy way of saying tell somebody where you're going", she said. "Tell them what track you're going to do in what area, where you're going to leave your car, how long you're going to be, and let them know when you're back as well." E stands for emergency communications, and Ryan said having a personal locator beacon can be a lifesaver. And lastly, she advised it's essential to familiarise yourself with the intended journey. "Finally, we've got K, which is know your route and stick to it. So that's really about planning the trip that's right for you, for your experience, for the skills that you might have for your level of fitness and making sure you've got good information about that track that you're going to be doing as well."
