David Smith miracle recovery from fatal crash near near Childers

The family of David Smith, a 17-year-old boy who miraculously survived a catastrophic car crash that killed his friend Illiana Palella, have spoken for the first time about their numbing shock and bedside vigil.

David Smith, the 17-year-old Bundaberg North boy who sustained critical injuries in the horrific Goodwood Rd crash on May 23 that took the life of Illiana Palella, is making a miracle recovery in Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.

After fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit, with family and friends keeping constant vigil at his bedside, David was transferred to a regular ward on June 12 and is now in a stable condition, a Princess Alexandra Hospital spokeswoman confirmed on Thursday.

His sister-in-law, Jesse Cole-Smith, said David and his family were “excited” at the prospect of him leaving his hospital bed for the first time on Thursday for a physiotherapy session.

After fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit David Smith was transferred to a regular ward and is now in a stable condition.

“He‘s very excited,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

“For him five days ago to not even be awake or recognising who you are, to actually having the possibility of getting out of bed, it’s exciting for everyone.”

The relief felt by Mr Smith’s family at seeing him on the road to recovery is in stark contrast to the numbing shock of first learning of the tragic accident.

Resonant with his sister’s description of her brother as “lov(ing) his family and friends, to the point the majority of his friends are now family,” David was helping a friend with car trouble early on the day of the crash.

The friend’s car had broken down on a country road near Buxton, 80km southeast of Bundaberg. Needing to return to Bundaberg that morning for work, the friend called David for help.

A lifelong car enthusiast, David was a natural mechanic and often helped friends and family with car repairs.

“He’s brilliant; he has a mechanic’s mind, no training he just has a love for it,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

The repair work done, David was travelling home to Bundaberg West along Goodwood Rd when his car collided with a Prosegur armoured vehicle around 5.30am.

David Smith was travelling home to Bundaberg North along Goodwood Rd when his car collided with a Prosegur armoured vehicle around 5.30am.

Mrs Cole-Smith and her husband, David’s brother, were told about the crash by David’s parents, who were called by the parents of another boy who was travelling in the car.

“When you read articles about accidents, you‘re like ‘oh wow, that’s horrendous’,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

“But you never know (the victims). And then for you to actually know them, it just hits hard.”

After learning that he had been flown by a LifeFlight chopper to Princess Alexandra Hospital, David’s family rushed to Brisbane from Bundaberg and Toowoomba and gathered in a hotel near the hospital while they waited for more news.

“It was an awful day,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

“We just waited for a phone call, calling them every hour. It was hours and hours and hours.”

David’s family was finally able to see him at 7pm that night, before he was rushed into the first of several surgeries that he underwent through the next 72 hours.

Mrs Cole-Smith was full of praise for the team of specialists who worked to save David from his “catastrophic” injuries.

David Smith's sister-in-law Jesse Cole-Smith (pictured with David in 2015) was full of praise for the team of specialists who worked to save him from his “catastrophic” injuries.

“His injuries were so catastrophic that one thing would be counteracting the other thing,” she said.

“Full credit to the doctors and nurses in that hospital, because they were all fighting over one patient to keep each part of him alive.”

The family stayed by David’s side in pairs, talking to him even through the long period of unconsciousness during which he was fighting for his life.

“While he was in ICU we‘d go in … and we’d chat,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

“We chatted with each other, and we chatted to Dave whether he could hear us or not.

“Every day we were talking to him and every day we were telling him ‘come on mate, fight’.”

They spoke to him about cars, his greatest passion, and recent holidays they had taken together on Stradbroke Island.

“You just chat – we didn’t know if he could hear us, but I guess that’s how we cope as well,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

David Smith’s family stayed at his bedside in pairs, talking to him even through the long period of unconsciousness in which he was fighting for his life.

While full of praise for the hospital staff, his family are sure that the main reason for David’s survival is his fighting spirit.

“That’s what’s so good about the young kid, he’s so determined,” she said.

“He doesn’t want to just cry in a bed and doesn’t want to give up, he wants to just keep going and keep going.”

David’s parents have steeled themselves for many more weeks in Brisbane, enabled by the donations received through the GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Mrs Cole Smith and David’s sister Kiarna Hayes.

“We are so thankful for everyone’s generosity,” Mrs Cole-Smith said.

“Davo’s mates, you’ve got people who don’t have a job that are donating to keep his family close.

“It hits hard for people who have got a 17-year-old boy who’s just started driving.

“You feel it in every direction; you feel for the parents (of the victim), you feel for the sisters and you feel for the brothers.”

Donations to David’s fundraiser can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/davids-recovery-202324 

Originally published as David Smith miracle recovery from fatal crash near near Childers