Ten people die on NSW roads in single weekend leading up to Christmas

Ten people have died on the state’s roads on the worst weekend in decades, with one grieving family pleading for motorists to slow down and get to Christmas alive.

An 84-year-old was killed when a bowls club courtesy club bus rolled on Saturday night. Picture: TNV

Ten people have died on the state’s roads on the worst weekend in decades, with one grieving family pleading for motorists to slow down and get to Christmas alive.

The NSW death toll stemming from fatal accidents now stands at 347 as of Sunday, 77 more than this time last year. On Saturday alone, six people were killed.

Premier Chris Minns is now facing increased pressure with a massive decline in the number of random breath tests (RBTs) and the axing of hidden speed cameras.

Central Coast father Stewart Edds, whose nine-year-old son James died in an horrific crash a week after Christmas, said every time he hears of another person killed on the road he relives the trauma.

His stepfather Dean McNulty said he ‘shuddered’ when he heard about the latest ten deaths.

Chris Minns is under pressure to reverse the state’s horror fatality rate. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“I’m reading the news this morning on the internet going ‘another one, and another one’ … honestly, it just hits you again and you bounce back to when it all happened to us,” Mr McNulty said.

The Edds family today spearheaded The Daily Telegraph’s awareness campaign to save lives on our roads, so that no one else “feels the pain we feel”.

James and his mother Anastasia were on their way to buy soccer boots with the youngster’s Santa money on January 4, when a drunk driver sped through a give way sign at Killarney Vale, and slammed into their car.

“You never want another person to go through that first phone call I got … Anastasia rang me, she was hysterical, she said ‘James won’t wake up’,” Mr Edds said.

“The next call I got was ‘James still won’t wake up, they’re airlifting him to the John Hunter Hospital’.”

Stewart Edds at home in Umina Beach on The Central Coast. His son, James (9), was killed in January this year when a drunk-driver crashed into the car he was travelling in with his mother. Picture: Julian Andrews

Trauma specialists explained to the family that James copped the full force of the crash when the 4WD slammed into his passenger door, but also a second massive impact when the airbag deployed and shunted him again.

James died two days later in hospital. His mum survived the crash physically, but the family said she lives in constant pain from losing her only child in the crash.

Grandmother Julie Edds begged motorists to slow down this Christmas and holiday season, saying there’s nothing worse than the heartache of losing a loved one.

“Every crash, every death … you feel the pain that a family is about to go through too,” Mrs Edds said. “There’s nothing like it, no words to describe how rough this feels.”

“And what people don’t realise is that we lost our grandson, but in a way we lost our son too. Watching his grief, and what he is going through is just wrong. It’s so wrong,” she said.

Stewart Edds with his dad Dean and mum Julia. The family have spoken about the heartbreak families go through after losing someone in a crash. Picture: Julian Andrews

NSW Police said the weekend road toll was the worst in decades, and that this year is now tracking to be the most deadly on the state’s roads since 2017 when 389 deaths were recorded, according to the Australian Roads Death Database.

Figures show extreme breaches of the speed limit are a major factor on the state’s road, with 2600 infringements handed out so far this year for driving 45km/h over the speed limit, while another 8800 have been handed out for driving 30km/h over.

Premier Chris Minns on Sunday defended the government’s decision to dump hidden speed cameras, and said work was underway to recruit more police to help carry out more RBTs after 3.5 million fewer tests were carried out in 2022 against the targeted number.

“I never believed the idea that someone would receive a toll in the mail several weeks after they’ve committed an offence would slow people down on New South Wales roads,” he said of the government’s move to axe hidden speed cameras.

“When it comes to more RBT enforcement … The key measure there is to recruit and retain more police. That’s the bottom line. We’re over 1000 police officers short from the authorised strength.”

He said scrapping the wages cap and paying police recruits to study were both moves which had led to recent increases in people training to become police officers.

The horror year on NSW’s roads has been punctuated by high-profile tragedies like the Hunter Valley bush crash, in which 10 revellers died while being driven home from a wedding in June, and a September crash at Heckenberg in which two siblings died.

Two siblings died in a horror crash at Heckenberg earlier this year. Photo: TNV

This weekend’s horror death toll included mother Trish O’Brien, 38, and her long-term partner John Stanton, 40, who were killed in a single vehicle accident near Wagga Wagga in the Riverina on Saturday.

Police said Stanton lost control of the ute they were in at the end of a long stretch of Keajura Rd and crashed into a tree, with Mr Stanton and Ms O’Brien dying at the scene.

On Friday a 17-year-old P-plate driver died in a single-vehicle crash on the M5 at Revesby.

In a heartbreaking post to Facebook, the teenager’s shattered sister remembered her brother for his “humour, his heart and his generosity”.

“With the deepest heart, I want to let you all know my baby brother … has passed away,” she wrote.

“Let’s all remember his humour, his heart and his generosity. Rest easy, I will love you forever.”

The p-plater’s car rolled down the M5 embankment at Revesby. Picture: Julian Andrews

Ray Padget, 84, who was a “much loved” resident of Cowra, died after a car slammed into a bowls courtesy bus taking members home after the club’s last day of bowls for the year,

Marc Eisenhauer , manager of Cowra Bowls Club, said their tight-knit club is “devastated” and “still trying to comprehend the loss” following last night’s tragedy.

“I’ve got all my staff here with me we’re all just a mess, it’s not something you ever expect to have a member leave the club and not return,” Mr Eisenhauer said

“It was our last day of bowls for the year and he was here all day just enjoying himself then taking the courtesy bus home which is standard practise, how could you expect he wouldn’t make it home.”

“It’s heartbreaking at any time of year but especially just before Christmas, it’s a lot to process, he was a very loved regular.”

The driver of the vehicle that collided with the courtesy bus was taken to Cowra Hospital for mandatory testing.

The 32-year-old man was arrested at Cowra Police Station on Sunday and charged with dangerous driving occasioning death - drive manner dangerous, cause bodily harm by misconduct - in charge of motor vehicle, negligent driving (occasioning death) and two counts of knowingly make false/misleading statement.

The Cowra man was refused bail to appear before Orange Local Court on Monday.

NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Evans on Sunday morning implored drivers to take extra care over the coming fortnight.

“The thoughts of the NSW Police Force are with all the families and loved ones of those who have died in the tragic crashes,” he said.

“We urge every motorist to take care on our roads and there will continue to be operations in place over the holiday period targeting dangerous driving.”

The Edds family said every person who gets behind the wheel of a car this holiday season, or any day of the year, has a responsibility to act safely.

“People need to understand the carnage they cause when someone dies on the road … don’t do it, just stick to the rules, the speed limit, and don’t put another family through what we now have to live with for the rest of our lives,” James Edds’ grandfather Dean said.

Bellingen woman Kristie Fiona Anne Merrett, 51, has pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving causing the death of James Edds, and will be sentenced early next year.