Former Rockhampton Grammar teachers Arthur and Aileen Kelly injured in Peregian Springs crash

The son of two former Central Queensland teachers has spoken about how his parents fought back from the brink of death after a horror Sunshine Coast crash two weeks ago. But despite their ‘remarkable’ survival, they face a ‘long and winding road’ to recover. Here’s how you can help.

It was meant to be a morning going back to reality for Arthur and Aileen Kelly.

After being away visiting family and then becoming unwell - the pair were on their way to Peregian Beach for their first beach walk in about a month.

But they never made it.

On the way to their beach walk on March 15, the pair was involved in a serious crash on Emu Creek Road just before 7am.

Their son Gareth had unknowingly driven past the crash which was about to turn the family’s lives upside down.

“Usually I stop and try to offer someone a lift or help, but for some reason that morning I didn’t and I didn’t even recognise it was their car,” he said.

Arthur and Aileen, both in their 70s, live in a granny flat on the same property as Gareth and his family at Yandina Creek, moving to the area after retiring.

Both were maths teachers and Arthur was also the deputy headmaster at the Rockhampton Grammar School, where they worked for 36 years.

Each morning Arthur would go for a walk, with Aileen meeting him after a few kilometres to pick him up before heading to the beach for a walk together.

The pair would then have their coffee and breakfast at cafe Kelly’s of Peregian, owned by Gareth at Peregian Beach.

“It was the first time they had done it in about a month,” Gareth said.

“I was at the cafe and my phone rang, it was coming from mum’s phone and I thought it was a bit strange.”

On the other end of the line was a nurse who was on her way home from night shift and was one of the first people on scene, telling Gareth his parents were involved in the horror smash.

Gareth arrived at the scene within minutes.

“Mum’s paramedic said she wasn’t far off dead and Dad was pretty much broken from the shoulders to the pelvis,” he said.

“Their car was hit by a driver who had crossed the median strip and both driver wheels collided spinning Mum and Dad out of control and they were then T-boned by a car behind them.

“In the bodycam footage a paramedic is heard saying in 32 years they had never seen a crash so bad.”

The couple are lucky to be alive with their son Gareth saying the pair are doing “remarkably well”.

When Gareth arrived at the hospital he saw a handful of people around his mum and about 15 or 16 around his Dad.

“She (Aileen) got out of it pretty lucky,” Gareth said.

“She had more broken ribs, a broken leg, quite bad damage to her spleen and concussion.”

Arthur on the other hand had a lot of internal injuries as well as broken bones.

Just some of his injuries included a ruptured aorta, four fractured vertebrae, a fractured pelvis, clavicle and sternum.

“The surgeon came to me to sign the form of consent to operate and said they didn’t know how he got out,” Gareth said.

“It was because of how it was positioned that saved his life, it’s remarkable.”

Arthur underwent surgery to have a stent put in to fix his aorta.

He also had part of his bowel removed due to seat belt injuries.

“He’s still in ICU, his kidneys weren’t working but they’re starting to work again now and his bowel is starting to work too,” Gareth said.

“They brought him out of sedation after 10 days and it wasn’t until then we knew if his brain was working... it’s quite overwhelming but his head is OK.

“He might be a bit spaced out because of the medications but it’s remarkable.”

Gareth said the afternoon of the crash paramedics who treated Arthur and Aileen returned to the hospital to check on how they were.

Now, two and a half weeks on from the crash, Arthur is still in ICU and Aileen could be out of hospital within weeks - but the road to a full recovery will be long and winding for the pair.

Gareth and his Dad Arthur.

Gareth said both were doing “remarkably well”.

“The call Dad the ‘Miracle Man’,” he said.

“If we’re lucky Mum will be out within the next few weeks, she’s improving extraordinarily well for someone her age.

“With Dad they’re only just comfortable with how his organs are doing and they haven’t even started on his bones yet...we’ll be lucky if he’s out within the next six months.

“We’ve decided to close the cafe to care for them full time...there’s going to be a lot of rehab.

“We’re really praying Dad doesn’t get chronic back pain, he’s lucky his legs are fine because we know he’ll want to keep active.”

But despite the surgeries, discomfort and separation by wards and hospital beds, the pair has been able to visit each other.

“It’s huge for them, all Mum wants to do is go see him,” Gareth said.

“He is on the road to recovery and Mum is now in a red wheelchair instead of the chair bed so I’ll be able to take her to visit Dad for longer which will help with their mental health.”

The GoFundMe page has already raised more than $3000.

Arthur will also still be able to play his beloved guitar after gaining function back in his left arm.

Gareth said the crash was so bad, emergency services were considering using the footage from the incident to train future first responders.

To assist with Arthur and Aileen’s road to recovery, two of the Rockhampton Grammar School’s teachers, Michelle Rundle and Jessica Williams, have since started a GoFundMe page for the couple who are much loved among the school community.

So far more than $3000 has been raised.

Michelle, who worked closely with Arthur in her role as head of Year 7, described Arthur and Aileen as “amazing people”.

“He’s just a magical man,” she said.

“Aileen worked in the maths department and in the 10 years I worked with them I didn’t see her as much, but they were just a dual package, if you worked with one of them you knew the other anyway.”

She said the GoFundMe page was created as the school’s way of being able to help out from a distance.

“We really wanted to help practically and distance wouldn’t allow that,” she said.

“We all just wanted to be able to cook a meal or do the run to the hospital or look after the children or take them to swimming lessons.”

“We wanted to contribute in a practical way even though we couldn’t physically be there.”

Michelle said both Arthur and Aileen were “incredible people” and them leaving the school was “a real blow”.

“Once you know Arthur and Aileen you become their family,” she said.

“The Grammar family is a big part of their lives so it was a real blow when they left and not to have them with us, but knowing they get to be with their family was something that allowed it to be a bit easier to say goodbye, because their family is everything to them.”

As a result of the crash, a 26-year-old Baringa man was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm, Queensland Police confirmed.

He is expected to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on May 30.

If you would like to donate to help Arthur and Aileen with their road to recovery visit the GoFundMe page.

You can also keep up to date with their recovery on the Facebook page Arthur and Aileen Kelly: The Long and Winding Road.