South-Eastern Freeway truck crash survivor Louise Compton speaks of her miraculous escape
TRAPPED and critically injured after her car was hit by a 150km/h runaway truck, Louise Compton believed she was going to die.
TRAPPED and critically injured after her car was hit by a 150km/h runaway truck, Louise Compton believed she was going to die.
“I believe a miracle occurred for me,” she told The Advertiser, speaking about how she survived one of the state’s most horrific crashes .
“I thought I was dead and I got pulled back. It’s very cliched but that’s actually how it felt. Somewhere I got pulled back and it was anticipated in ICU right from the start that I would be so much worse.”
Two other drivers died when a fully laden sewage truck careered through the intersection at the bottom of the freeway on August 18. Mrs Compton was waiting in the left-hand slip lane, preparing to turn into Cross Rd, when the crash occurred.
As she drifted in and out of consciousness, her first thought was for her husband and children. Fortunately they were not in the car, which was airborne before coming to rest near a retaining wall.
“I didn’t know if anyone else was in the car,” she said. “I realised I had been in an accident and I was asking where my children and my husband were. There was so much damage to the car — they (emergency services) didn’t know if anyone else was in the car.
“It felt like a dream, one that I couldn’t wake up from. I don’t really remember anything — I was quite agitated and distressed.”
Husband Geraint was in Belair when he received the news. “I was told she could move her arms and legs and she could talk,” he said. “I stopped at the scene and I saw it. I couldn’t believe anyone could be alive when I saw the car.”
Mrs Compton had to be sedated for two days after sustaining a broken neck, broken back, and bruising on the brain and her abdominal area. She was in hospital for three weeks.
Mrs Compton believes the crash was a factor in the swift action of police the following week, when a 40-tonne truck’s brakes failed and officers were able to escort it safely through the intersection.
“If that truck (in the subsequent crash) hit cars, it could have killed many more people. It was travelling slower but the size and weight of it could have been much worse.”
Mrs Compton hopes the coronial inquest into the tragedy — which began just four days after the crash — will lead to further safety improvements.
“I want to find out why and have them do something about it,” she said. “I’m grateful to be alive and to be able to talk about it, but I feel extreme sadness for the other victims, the families and the truck driver.”
She said two of her rescuers had visited her in hospital.
“I thanked them,’’ she said. “I was so grateful. From the nature of my injuries, they weren’t sure how I was going to go.
“They really need to be acknowledged, along with the doctors and nurses at the RAH.
“My family and wonderful friends of the Hahndorf community have really helped with their wonderful support. My daughters Sophie, 14 and Emily, 17 and all the people at the hospital as well.”
The mother of two said that despite recent changes to speed down the freeway, if there was more driver education and a focus on vehicle maintenance, accidents like hers could be avoided.
“Slowing down isn’t the answer,” she said, referring to the new 90km/h limit for vehicles from the Stirling Interchange.
“But by all accounts, people who travel down that road are grateful for the change. People on the whole don’t respect the danger of driving too fast.
“My feelings are (we need more) driver education and vehicle maintenance.”
Mr Spiess died at the scene and Ms Byrne died in hospital the following day.
The driver of the truck, Darren Hicks, 29, of Netley, was critically injured and is continuing to recover from his injuries, which included the loss of one of his legs.