Crash sparks road safety campaign | Fraser Coast News | Local News in Fraser Coast
Crash sparks road safety campaign
Peter Copas and Shannon Nestor at a road safety demo at Urangan State High School yesterday.
AS A TOW truck driver, Peter Copas has seen more than his fair share of horrific car crashes over the years.
But no amount of experience could prepare him for the time it happened to be his step-daughter in the crumpled car.
Shannon Nestor and her three teenage friends know they’re lucky to be alive after their vehicle skidded along a wet road and slammed into a stationary ute on March 2.
She was the backseat passenger when the silver Mazda sedan slid off Colyton Street in Torquay and struck the other vehicle.
The 17-year-old ended up with a cracked rib and nine stitches around her eye.
Mr Copas, of Wide Bay Towing and Salvage, is thankful he was not the first towie on the scene, as a colleague was able to pre-warn him about Shannon’s involvement.
“If I was there first I would be selling my business,” he said.
“I know what other parents feel like now.
“I had to keep my cool for her mum, but when I got there it really hit me.”
The drama of seeing Shannon pulled from the wreck was enough to scare Mr Copas and he says it’s now his personal mission to better educate local school kids about the dangers of driving.
Yesterday he took some old cars to Urangan State High – Shannon’s school – and got the fire brigade to demonstrate for senior students how they cut up crashed cars while police talked about road safety.
“Every time there are Hervey Bay school kids involved in an accident in uniform, I’m going to approach their schools to do this,” Mr Copas said.
“I think it’s what might just wake the kids up.”
Shannon, who holds a learner licence, says her experience will make her more cautious the next time she drives.
She is hoping yesterday’s demonstration will create more awareness among her peers.
Mr Copas, a towie of 36 years, said: “If it saves one or two kids’ lives, I’ll be happy.”
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Posted by kimw167 from Torquay, Queensland
11 March 2010 11:45 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
ON Tuesday i was driving past a large local secondary school and went past a crossing with a lollipop lady. we stopped and continued on to the next crossing where i stopped again not this time for a lollipop lady but 2 teachers or admin staff in plain clothes. My intent for this comment is not to get these two in trouble for trying to direct traffic at school close time but to inquire as to why there was no high visibility vest or lollipop with these ladies. I dont think they realize the potential danger they exposed themselves and every kid who crossed there to by stepping out on to a road and expecting every driver who goes past to have excellent vision. If something had happened at this crossing there would have been a major outcry as well there should have. Surely the Education Dept has funds for equipment if not the people.
Posted by CrDavid from Hervey Bay, Queensland
13 March 2010 11:09 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
I can understand Where the tow truck operator is coming from. The ALP government thinks by raising fines and hiding more speed cameras across QLD they will fix the problem. Sorry I don’t agree and can anyone tell me how getting a speeding fine in the post weeks after the event saved any one’s life the day you did it? I have tried over and over to develop a driver education facility here on the Fraser coast. But consecutive governments have made it to hard for us to do it with mountains of red tape and the offer of nothing not even donating the land to council. Well I can proudly say the Fraser coast council tried to back this project but we hit the government brick wall. They are not interested in saving lives or reducing the road toll. At the end of the day they rely on the money from the fines to prop up other failing projects or fat pay checks for mates. Come on Anna let’s get serious and make the Fraser coast the birth place for driver education school. Also we need to respect the tow truck operators from our area as the are there to help us all.