Dead train driver’s family tells court of nightmare after Westwood crash

“My dad was my mum’s other half. Her Ying to her Yang, her peanut butter to her jelly. When he died her whole world crumbled.” SEE THE FULL STATEMENT

Margate man, Chris O'Brien is being remembered as a great dad and husband. He was tragically killed in a train incident near Rockhampton on June 18, 2021. Photo: Facebook

“My dad was my mum’s other half. Her Ying to her Yang, her peanut butter to her jelly. Thus, when he died her whole world crumbled.”

This is what the eldest daughter of train driver Chris O’Brien had to tell a courtroom of suits and Kings Counsel black gowns as Queensland Rail was penalised for failing to ensure the safety of three employees, and provide relevant training, that were involved in a fatal two-train collision two years ago.

Queensland Rail employees, Chris O’Brien, and another train driver, were being supervised by a third man – Andrew Rose – when they were performing a long-end leading manoeuvre (driving the train in reverse) when it collided with another train at Westwood on June 18, 2021.

Mr O’Brien died in the collision, while the third man sustained minor injuries and Mr Rose sustained a brain injury, whiplash and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Rose is no longer able to work because of his injuries.

QR regional director Scott Cornish, on behalf of the company, entered pleas of guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on December 11 to two charges of duty to take reasonable care that acts or omissions do not adversely affect the safety of other persons, and fail to comply with said duty.

RACQ CapRescue flown one male patient after a train collision at Westwood in June 2021.

Mr O’Brien’s eldest daughter Philippa read out her victim impact statement, and so too his wife Tiara, to the court during the sentencing proceedings.

“The victim is Christopher O’Brien, 48 years of age,” Mrs O’Brien said.

“He will never have his voice heard again so it is my responsibility to ensure his employer, Queensland Rail, hear how their lack of organisational safety and their blatant lack of risk management failed Christopher, me his wife Tiara, his two daughters Philippa and Bridgette, aged 19 and 13 respectively at the time of his death, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law, his nieces and nephews and all that love him.

“We did not get to say goodbye, our daughters where there when the police officer arrived to deliver the death message and Chris will never get to be ‘Grandpa Cranky Chris’ to our future grandchildren.”

Philippa said her mother was “vacant for at least six months after” his death.

“She was making decisions without being able to remember making them, forgetting to do simple things and emotionally was like a ghost,” she said.

“I had never seen my mum like this, as she is normally my rock and my confidant.”

Tiara’s victim impact statement in full:

This is a victim impact statement, but I am not the victim.

The victim is Christopher O’Brien, 48 years of age.

He will never have his voice heard again so it is my responsibility to ensure his employer, Queensland Rail, hear how their lack of organisational safety and their blatant lack of risk management failed Christopher, me his wife Tiara, his two daughters Philippa and Bridgette, aged 19 and 13 respectively at the time of his death, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law, his nieces and nephews and all that love him.

I acknowledge the majority of Queensland Rail leaders, at all levels of management, who contributed to the established cutting of corners on the basis of financial cost efficiencies, are not present in the courtroom today.

However, those present are in the position, a very important position, to drive organisational reform to ensure employees like Christopher go home after their shift is finished, and no family suffers the trauma, grief and sudden loss of loved one that we have.

We did not get to say goodbye, our daughters where there when the police officer arrived to deliver the death message and Chris will never get to be ‘Grandpa Cranky Chris’ to our future grandchildren.

Chris just went to work doing a role he loved and took pride in doing.

Absorbing all new skills and knowledge on the regional driver training program with the focus on getting qualified and then transferred back to Brisbane Mayne Depot so that he and I could work together being train crew.

Chris as a driver and me as a train guard … Working together until our much-anticipated retirement.

People with good hearts and intentions have said ‘things happen for a reason’ to which I reply, the reason is because an employer placed more value on the dollar bottom line then that of the safety of their employees.

When doing my guard school training we had a QR psychologist deliver a session on Human Factors, including the Swiss cheese theory.

Emergency services at the scene of a train collision at Westwood, west of Rockhampton, on June 18, 2021.

According to this metaphor, in a complex system, hazards are prevented from causing human losses by a series of barriers.

Each barrier has unintended weaknesses, or holes- hence the similarity with Swiss cheese.

These weaknesses are inconsistent – i.e. the holes open and close at random.

When by chance all holes are aligned, the hazard causes harm.

They spoke about ensuring safety as a priority but for those in this courtroom know on June 18 at Westwood the holes aligned and the hazard took Chris’s life.

The application of this theory – Chris, Jason and Andrew should not have been in that loco running long-end leading while in a training environment during a partial track closure and when the network owner was running a signalling trial.

I am definitely not the smartest person in the room, but I know it all starts with the rostered instruction to run long-end leading.

Simple really … they should never have been in that loco with restricted views, no designated tutor position, and controls in reverse position to the direction that were travelling under tuition.

I acknowledge we are here for charges against Queensland Rail for failing to provide a safe work environment resulting in a death, Christopher’s death, but I would also acknowledge the trauma inflicted to Jason and Andrew and their families.

So many lives have been impacted because of what Queensland Rail’s leaders and management failed to do.

Chris and I were together for 26 and a half years, married 21 years and worked side-by-side for 16 years.

We talked and messaged everyday … the last message I sent to Chris said ‘you are stuck with me until death do us part buddy’ … I didn’t know that would be less than 20 hours later.

Philippa’s statement:

Firstly, I want to start by saying this is not a personal attack on you as human beings.

However, this statement is directed towards the organisation as whole and its operations.

June 18, 2021, the day my life and my family changed forever.

I will never forget those poor police officers who had to come to our front door and deliver the news.

My dad was a loyal, thoughtful, comedic, and loving man.

He was the glue to our family and the mediator to some arguments.

With three other females in the house, his voice was often the voice of reason and logic.

Being the oldest, I was very close to my dad and would confide in him things I needed help with or was ashamed about.

My dad was my mum’s other half.

Her Ying to her Yang, her peanut butter to her jelly.

Thus, when he died her whole world crumbled.

My sister and I lost two parents that day, one physically and the other psychologically.

Yes, my mum has come out the other side and is working towards happiness, however I digress.

My mum was vacant for at least six months after dad died.

She was making decisions without being able to remember making them, forgetting to do simple things and emotionally was like a ghost.

I had never seen my mum like this, as she is normally my rock and my confidant.

Thus, when I saw this, I knew I had to step up and pull more weight in the house such as school drop offs, cleaning, etc.

The impact that this accident has had on my life is immense.

I have constant PTSD and will go automatically to worst case scenario when I cannot get a hold of people.

It has impacted my personal relationship as every time my partner goes to work or goes away, I am in constant fear that something will happen.

This accident has increased my pre-existing anxiety by 10-fold and have now had to be medicated for my anxiety and depression.

I am now much more emotional over things and become triggered easily.

My boyfriend has chosen to stand by my side through this despite never having the chance to meet my dad.

This is another impact; I will never have my dad to walk me down the aisle or give me away.

My dad will never see my sister graduate school or myself graduate uni.

I was halfway through my degree with the accident happened, thus my ability to focus and study has majorly been affected and I can no longer focus for long periods of time.

I receive constant sad faces from the people I am with when I bring up my dad or mention something slightly emotional.

Certain people, who I love and cherish will sometimes walk on eggshells when I’m around because they don’t want to offend or upset me with their stories.

I hate being treated like this as I’m no porcelain doll and I have proven to be able to come out the other side of this nightmare event.

I don’t like having to tell people my dad died when they ask what my parents do, and I receive this sad face.

I am not one to shy away from asking for help when I need or saying I’m not okay, but to be treated like I am going to shatter at any moment is not something I like to endure.

My family will never be the same as it was before.

My boyfriend will never get to meet my dad or watch a game of footy with him.

Instead, I must try and explain what my dad was like in words.

The dynamic of my family will never be the same as we have all gone through this trauma and will have grieved differently.

No 16-year-old (13 at the time) should have to go through what my sister has gone through.

We all lost a piece of ourselves that day which will never return.

We are not the same people who we were two years ago, for better or for worse.

I cannot even continue to put into words how my dad’s death has impacted me personally and my family, just to say that none of us will ever be the same and that day and to this very day we have lost a piece of our hearts and souls and instead left us as an empty void.

I want the rules to be changed.

I want no other family to go through what we have gone through.

Yes, it is horrible what happened to us, but if there is a change, we can rewrite the rules and save other families moving forward, I will sign that petition.

Originally published as Dead train driver’s family tells court of nightmare after Westwood crash