‘After Impact’ documentary to reveal the struggles of road crash survivors

Seven road crash survivors, including four Territorians, will share their testimonies in an upcoming documentary. Read more on how their lives are impacted.

For Lachlan Miller, the “worst day” of his life is the most important story to tell.

Mr Miller, 31, broke his neck and back ten years ago in a horrific car crash in Darwin’s rural area.

After undergoing life-saving surgery and years of rehabilitation, Mr Miller appears healthy but some challenges are lifelong.

“The biggest part that a lot of people don’t see or even understand in the community is the brain injury side of things,” Mr Miller said.

“So I physically appear quite fine but the hardest part is trying to get things from (my mind) out into the world for me to do and action that kind of stuff.”

Now Mr Miller has joined forces with other road survivors to star in a new documentary, ‘After Impact’, which details the challenges they have experienced from surviving.

Lachlan Miller, 32, is one of four Territorians who will share their testimony in the new documentary ‘After Impact’. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Miller said the documentary might be able to save others from traumatic experiences.

“Me sharing the worst day of my life with more strangers is then going to have a chance for them to possibly grow and learn something from my experience,” he said.

“And that way they won’t have to go through the same trauma and struggles for the rest of their lives like I do at the moment, so if I can help one person out there to make better decisions on the road (it will feel like an achievement).”

Another survivor, Blake Wilson, was 20 years old when his life changed forever after a drunk pedestrian stepped in front of his motorcycle on a Palmerston road.

Tragically, the pedestrian was killed and Mr Wilson suffered significant injuries which ultimately included his arm being amputated.

Blake Wilson, 27, had his arm amputated after sustaining significant road crash injuries. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Wilson said his life will never be what it was.

“(There’s) obviously massive changes to my life – my life will never be what it was and there’s no realistic way for it to go back that way,” he said.

“I no longer have to get rehabilitation or anything like that, but the daily impacts, you know, are lifelong.”

Will Taheny, 24, shares his story of how he became wheelchair bound. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Wilson said it was important to understand the consequences of surviving road crashes as well the fatality numbers.

“That’s not a message that gets out there very often, like yeah, you may live through the crash and a lot of people do live through crashes, but a lot of people live with permanent injury from those crashes.”

‘After Impact’ will launch on Nine Darwin on Monday at 7.30pm.

Originally published as ‘After Impact’ documentary to reveal the struggles of road crash survivors