Sussex Inlet mother Alison Murray, whose husband Gavin was killed in a crash on the Princes Highway in December 2015, has joined the call to have the road upgraded.
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A fully laden refrigerated semi trailer lost control about 500 metres south of the Island Point Road intersection, slid and came to rest on the four-wheel-drive Gavin was driving. He was critically injured but their son Darcy, then three years old, survived any serious injury.
It was about 3pm. Gavin had driven to Nowra to pick up parts for the wrecking yard they operated in Wandandian. He had taken Darcy with them.
“I knew that there was an accident because I had a customer ring up from over at the Basin way who said they couldn’t get through because the highway was closed,” she says.
“Every single time I drive to Nowra I’m running through that day and what happened, and the car ride to the hospital.
“It’s a constant reminder, especially when you hear of other accidents, especially so close. I know exactly what these families are going to be going through and it’s horrendous.”
Apart from the pain and suffering which attends losing a husband in a road accident, there is the convoluted process that follows.
“There’s so much red tape, hoops, things that you have to go through that you really pretty much put your grief aside because you have to go to solicitor’s appointments and psychologist’s appointments and all these things to do with the Compulsory Third Party insurance process,” Alison explains.
Every single time I drive to Nowra I’m running through that day and what happened, and the car ride to the hospital.
- Alison Murray
The widow contacted Fairfax Media after learning about the FIX IT NOW campaign. She wanted to add her voice to the growing clamour for a complete highway upgrade south of the Jervis Bay Road turnoff.
Alison hopes that by telling her story, she can get the message out that a highway upgrade is about more than money.
“It’s not about money and that’s what people don’t realise. Until it actually happens to you, you don’t realise the impact that it has.
“You want to scream and shout but you’re not being listened to. You’re not being heard. It’s like what’s happened to us doesn’t matter.”
