Woombye truck crash kills Alex Cosic six weeks after his engagement
A grieving fiance has recalled the joyful moments right before the chilling crash death of her partner just weeks after he proposed.
North Lakes Times
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A dedicated North Lakes stepfather and fiance was celebrating a milestone in the lead up to his wedding on the day he was killed after the brakes of the truck he was a passenger in failed while travelling on the Sunshine Coast.
Alex Cosic, 32, died on Friday, August 18, about 12.45pm, in a truck crash at Woombye.
According to initial police investigations the tip truck was heading northeast along Blackall Range Rd, near Shekinah Crt in West Woombye, when it left the road and rolled into a dam.
Mr Cosic was found dead at the scene, while the driver, a 27-year-old Deception Bay man, was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.
According to Mr Cosic’s fiance, Kiah Van Bruggen, 29, of North Lakes, he was on his way to a job for their earth moving company, A & D Earth Moving, when the brakes failed and the driver lost control.
“Police have said there was a brake failure,” Miss Van Bruggen said.
“He (the driver) tried to pull it up but couldn’t and it ran off the road and the truck flipped.
“Alex died instantly which is as comforting as it can be that it would have been quick and painless.
“The other man who was driving was one of our employees and he’s fine now and out of hospital.”
Police have been contacted for comment regarding the cause of the crash.
The couple had been together for three years and engaged for just six weeks before the tragic crash. They had plans to meet in person with their wedding celebrant the day after Mr Cosic died.
“The Tuesday before the accident we’d finally booked a date and a venue for our wedding,” Miss Van Bruggen said.
“That afternoon and night (of the crash) I was supposed to be having my girlfriends over to ask them to be my bridesmaids.
“Alex was going to take my dad out to get a parmy, beer and watch the footy at the pub.
“He (her dad) was the last person he spoke to before the crash on the phone … dad said they were laughing about not wanting to be home for our girls’ night and that they’d go out to give us space.”
Miss Van Bruggen said she was stuck in school traffic on her way to pick up her two children, aged seven and five, when she got the call.
“It was the worst moment of my life,” she said.
“I just knew it was him who had died. I was shaking and screaming and crying. I can’t put it into words.
“I tried to tell myself it was okay and that I’d be okay but I didn’t believe it.”
In a state of grief and shock, Miss Van Bruggen organised for her children’s father to pick them up from school and she went straight to the hospital with Mr Cosic’s brother.
“We wanted to tell the driver that we didn’t blame him and it wasn’t his fault,” she said.
At about 9.30pm that night she left the hospital and called her children’s father.
“My kids loved Alex so much so I knew it was going to be really hard to tell them,” Miss Van Bruggen said.
“I told them there had been an accident. They knew the driver so I let them know he was okay but that Alex didn’t make it.
“My daughter had nightmares for a bit … they’re still crying and talking about how much they miss him.”
About six weeks before his death, Mr Cosic took her children fishing at Redcliffe. What Miss Van Bruggen didn’t know was he was actually showing them her engagement ring and asking for their blessing to propose.
“He called me a few hours in saying the car had broken down and asked me to come out,” she said.
“I get there and he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
“It was beautiful and we were all so excited.”
Through tears, Miss Van Bruggen explained how she was trying to keep his memory alive by talking about him with her children still every day.
“It’s been really hard for them to understand,” she said.
“They cry every night before bedtime because they miss him so much.
“He was a beautiful soul and always wanted to help anyone. He’d drop anything to help others. He was caring, compassionate and understanding.
“He loved my kids and was great with them. He was always taking them out fishing or getting milkshakes. He spoiled them … they’d always come home with more toys after spending a day with him.
“He made me a better person, supported me, he was just the best. He was my person.”
Mr Cosic’s funeral was a few days ago, and in the lead up Miss Van Bruggen went to see his body to say goodbye and leave him some presents to be buried with.
“I bought him a wedding ring for him to wear,” she said.
“I put it on him which was very special to me but also very emotional and hard.
“Placing the wedding ring on his finger was a lot. His hands had changed so much and were so skinny and cold.
“I also placed his Father’s Day presents from the kids in the coffin – a watch and a go fishing sign. Along with some pictures they drew for him.
“His funeral was one year, one month, and one day before our wedding would have been.”
A GoFundMe campaign has also been created to support the family through this tough time.
You can donate here.
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