YOUR SAY: Heartfelt plea after loss of a mate

DANGERS of distraction are real, as this Warwick man sadly knows all too well.

PAY ATTENTION: A man who saw a woman driving while distracted in Warwick issues a warning. Picture: Contributed

TO the young lady driving a silver hatchback that was intercepted by police on the New England Highway at Warwick (outside McDonald's) early Wednesday afternoon (25/7/2018), I hope you received a clear message to change your driving habits.

This message is equally applicable to any driver who may be distracted while driving.

I followed you for about 25km travelling northbound towards Warwick on the New England Highway.

When I first encountered you near the Braeside quarry, you were travelling about 60km/h in a 100km/h zone, you were swerving over the left hand verge line onto the gravel and back onto the highway. You continued north, driving erratically at 100km/h, swerving from the left side line then over the centre line on multiple occasions.

This erratic driving was enough for me to call QPS seeking their assistance on what the issue may be.

I thought you may have been an elderly driver experiencing a medical episode.

I thought perhaps you may be a drunk or drug-influenced driver.

Perhaps you were on your mobile phone or texting while driving?

I don't know if you were aware of how badly you were driving?

Your focus was not on driving, that's for sure.

You needed to be off the road.

Do you know you traversed the centre line just south of Warwick (near Kingsleigh Rd) and nearly collected a white Toyota Corolla sedan head-on?

It was only for the other driver's actions the two cars did not collide.

You "near missed" several vehicles and a semi-trailer prior to that.

Thankfully the QPS responded and a unit intercepted you as you drove through Warwick.

The officer indicated you appeared OK and passed a breathalyser test.

You did not appear fatigued.

I suspect you may have been distracted by a mobile phone or texting while driving.

You could have been the next fatality in the region - you could have been number "27", going by the road safety sign as you leave Warwick heading to Stanthorpe.

A friend of mine was tragically killed at Eumundi in late June, the result of a distracted driver in a 4WD who, in a split second, crossed the centre line and BANG! Head-on collision.

He died at the scene. His son miraculously survived.

The distracted driver survived. Lives were changed forever.

My friend was 44 years old, a loving husband and father of three children. His wife is now a young widow, his kids are fatherless, his daughter won't have her dad to walk her down the aisle. His two sons don't have a dad to take them to rugby this Saturday morning.

I, and many others have lost a mate.

A whole family and social network devastated by a senseless, preventable act.

I have travelled tens of thousands of kilometres in the past 30 years. This incident was one of the worst I have personally witnessed.

Put down your phone, don't text and drive, don't drink and drive, don't take drugs and drive. Distracted and tired drivers kill.

I hope the young lady changes her driving behaviours and lives a long and prosperous life.

I hope she reflects on being pulled over on Wednesday and understands why I called the police after observing her driving.

You're still alive and you didn't kill anyone on Wednesday - let's keep it that way.

Leo Jensen,

Warwick

LETTER OF THE WEEK