On May 16, 2009, Judy Lindsay received a phone call that no parent should receive, one that changed her life forever. Her daughter, 20 year-old Hayley Russell, was tragically killed in a serious crash only a few kilometres from home in Alexandra Hills.
That night a driver made the decision to get behind the wheel drunk. A decision that turned a normal night out into a tragedy.
To raise awareness for road safety, at the close of state-wide school holiday road safety campaign, Operation Cold Snap, Judy has shared her story about how one person’s actions behind the wheel impacted her life, and her family’s life forever.
“My family and I still struggle – 11 years later, I’m watching Hayley’s friends who are now making lives of their own, getting married and having children. Because of someone’s actions that night, I will never have this opportunity,” Judy said.
With state-wide school holiday road safety campaign, Operation Cold Snap today coming to an end Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services the Honourable Mark Ryan MP, Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus joined to discuss the results of the operation and remind Queenslanders to do the right thing on our roads.
With travel restrictions continuing to ease across Queensland, Commissioner Carroll said the state-wide operation was a strong reminder to all road users.
“It’s important to remember that our road toll is not just a number; every person who dies on our roads has a network of family and friends who are left behind and whose lives are changed forever,” Commissioner Carroll said.
With 12 lives lost over the three week period, the state’s road toll currently sits 16 above the same time last year.
