Officer reminds of road toll | Rockhampton News | Local News in Rockhampton
Officer reminds of road toll
SHOCK STATISTIC: Rockhampton Acting Assistant Commissioner Steve Gollschewski addresses a crowd sitting in the grandstand at CQUniversity yesterday before a minute’s silence to remember the 298 lives lost on Queensland roads this year. People in red hats represent the number of local people killed in car accidents in 2009.
ROCKHAMPTON police officer Steve Gollschewski will never forget the day he pulled a three-month-old boy from a car crash and the youngster died in his arms.
After 30 years with the police force, the Acting Assistant Commissioner still remembers every one of the fatal car crashes he has attended.
Yesterday 299 people gathered at CQUniversity in Rockhampton to symbolise the 298 lives already lost on Queensland roads this year.
It was one of a number of gatherings statewide which observed a minute’s silence to remember those affected by the road toll. Police had hoped to keep it below 299 this year.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Gollschewski told the crowd there had been 51 fatalities on Central Queensland roads this year, 20 of those in the Rockhampton district.
The Acting Assistant Commissioner said he would never forget a fatal car crash in 1982 after which he had to interview the mother of a dead three-month-old boy.
He said the aim of yesterday’s “flash mob” gatherings was to raise awareness of the effect fatal car accidents had on the community.
Part of the problem was trying to curb the attitude, “it’s not going to happen to me”, Acting Assistant Commissioner Gollschewski said.
Wearing white hats yesterday signified each life lost in 2009, while the red hats signified local deaths.
Every fatal car crash was a “terrible tragedy” and it would take the work of the entire community to keep the statistics low.
People were still taking risks, not wearing seatbelts, speeding and still drink-driving.
FATAL STATS• At 5pm yesterday a total of 298 lives had been lost on Queensland roads this year.
• The Rockhampton district made up 20 of those fatalities.
• The Central Queensland region made up 51 of the fatalities.
Source: Queensland Police Service
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