Uber driver injured in Ezra Mam crash has ‘heard nothing’ from Broncos

The Uber driver injured in a collision with a ute driven by Broncos player Ezra Mam says he has heard nothing from the NRL club.

Marcel Van Den Camp, 64, told Nine News he would seek help to overcome “mental hurdles” following the collision on Friday night.

Van Den Camp was carrying two passengers on his last trip for the day in his Toyota sedan when he encountered Mam’s ute on Simpsons Road at Bardon.

The aftermath of a collision between a ute driven by Broncos player Ezra Mam and an Uber in Brisbane.Credit: Nine News

“We went through Bardon... and all of a sudden in a flash there was this truck that hit us right in the front,” he said.

“It was an almighty crash. I blacked out for a little bit, the two passengers in the back, the little girl was screaming and crying ... the lady was saying ‘I can’t breathe’, and I said, ‘Holy moly I’ve got to do something’.”

The woman who was in the back seat labelled Van Den Camp a “hero” for helping pull the four-year-old to safety.

The Uber driver said he blacked out after the crash, before helping his passengers get out of the car.Credit: Nine News

Van Den Camp said his passengers were distraught and the girl “had quite a few injuries”.

“I tried the back doors, couldn’t open [them], they were locked so I went back to my door, reached over to the back door on my side, unlatched it and was able to open it,” he said.

All three suffered seatbelt burns and the girl was admitted to hospital with a broken hip.

Broncos boss Dave Donaghy on Wednesday would not confirm whether Mam would be given a second chance by the club.

“I’m not going to pre-empt the process, but what I will say about Ezra – and this is from a personal experience – he’s a very decent young man,” Donaghy said of the 22-year-old.

“I do feel like he had lost his way across the course of what’s been a really big 12 months.”

While Donaghy had reached out to the mother, who said she had not heard from Mam personally, Van Den Camp said he had “heard nothing” from the club.

Van Den Camp said driving an Uber was an “in-between job” before retirement.

“I just basically enjoy driving,” he said. “I’d like to continue on Uber driving but at the moment I’m going to need some help getting over the mental hurdles that I’m experiencing ... anxiety when I’m sitting in the car.”

Donaghy said Mam had entered a rehabilitation facility in a bid to address his problems.

“He’s obviously found himself in a really challenging, troubling position right now and sought help, which is great, and for us it’s working through the process once the facts are known to ensure we’re not making a rash call.”

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