Family of Jackie Faulkner share grief in months after crash death as road toll hits record

As Queensland’s 2022 road toll climbs to its highest mark in a decade, one woman has revealed the heartbreaking reason she feels guilty after her own mother was killed in a crash.

Shaadi Woodman sees her mum in dragonflies, birds and butterflies, but nothing will ever fix the grief and heartache she’s felt every day since her death.

It’s been four months since Jackie Faulkner, 59, was killed in a crash on the Bruce Highway, but many questions remain unanswered for her family.

Jackie, a spiritual and bright counsellor, was one of 296 loved ones who died on Queensland roads in 2022.

It’s the highest number of deaths on the state’s roads in a decade.

Ms Woodman and her family are among those who know the real impacts of the road toll first-hand.

Shaadi Woodman, Alaska McCulloch and Jackie Faulkner. Picture: Supplied.

“Grief is really hard, no matter what literature you read, it’s like a whole new world,” Ms Woodman said.

“We are all really struggling. We will all catch up and just all cry.”

Jackie was travelling from Kuranda to Townsville in August when she was hit by a truck near Cardwell.

She had stopped behind a sugar cane truck that was waiting to turn onto an access road when another truck, also travelling south, hit her car. No charges have been laid.

Jackie was on her way to see her pregnant daughter, Cheyarni Pike, who is due to give birth in February.

Ms Pike said she couldn’t help but feel an element of guilt for asking her mum to visit that day.

Kyana Pike, Cheyarni Pike with their mother Jackie Faulkner. Picture: Supplied.

“If I hadn’t asked her to come, I wouldn’t have lost her,” Ms Pike said.

Now 32 weeks pregnant, Ms Pike said it had been extremely difficult to cope with losing her mother while trying to prepare to have a baby.

“It’s really conflicting, because you want to be able to process it and manage everything and move through the grief, but you have this guilt that every time I’m upset my baby is upset too … so trying to suppress that until after birth has been really difficult.”

In 2022, 293 people died on the roads, including 135 drivers, 42 passengers, 29 pedestrians and 73 motorbike riders.

It’s the highest death toll in at least a decade.

Throughout the regions, 32 deaths were in Brisbane, 51 in the Central Region, 60 on the North Coast, 58 in the Southern Region, 36 in South Eastern, 15 in Northern, and 33 in the Far North.

Both the Central Region and Far North Region, where Jackie died, recorded large increases in its road toll from 2021, with 17 and 15 more fatals respectively.

Ms Woodman said it was the little things she missed the most about her mum.

“We relied on her for advice and would always ring her for help with things. When there are parenting moments you go to pick up the phone.

Jackie Faulkner died in a car accident north of Cardwell. Picture: Supplied.

“Having Christmas now gone, the grief is really starting to hit. We are all just so discombobulated.”

Since Jackie’s death, Ms Woodman had moved to Townsville to be with her sisters.

“I’m really trying to lean into the grief now that I have moved back. Her birthday is coming up in January, once the birthday happens I think it’ll start to sink in.”

Ms Woodman said she wanted drivers to pay more attention on the roads to make sure their families never have to go through what they have.

“There are things you can’t foresee everything you get in a car. It is a risk.

“Make sure you focus, don’t be distracted by things, just slow down.”

Ms Pike said the roads needed to be safer, and drivers had to take more precautions.

“It’s not worth the loss of someone’s life to get somewhere quicker,” she said.

Originally published as Family of Jackie Faulkner share grief in months after crash death as road toll hits record