Marie Purchase's speech.
I don’t think you’ll ever realise the effects of drunk driving until it hits you and your family.
The call came through at 6:15pm on the 29th April 2007. A time and date I’ll never forget.
As I sat there eating dinner Dad and his partner Sue said to my sister and I, “Girls you’re going to want to come up to the bedroom”. As they followed us up the hallway I got that aerie feeling that something was wrong.
We sat down and the exact words Dad said to us were. “Girls, your Mum, Simon and Leon have been in a terrible accident. Your Mum and Simon were both killed and Leon’s in Rotorua Hospital.
My sister burst into tears and started screaming. Me, well I just sat there in shock. I didn’t cry or scream, just started shaking. Dad said I went completely white. The screams and tears of my sister shook me and it wasn’t until then that the tears started rolling down my face. Luckily for me my boyfriend Harley was there that night and I said to Sue. “Can you go get Harley?” He ran up the hallway and wrapped his arms around me as I attempted to say “Mum died!” under the tears. He just gave me that look that said Marie I know, so I just shut up.
The next thing that happened was Detective Mark Pakes arrived to confirm that it was my Mum, Simon and Leon. He explained that Mum and Simon had died instantly in a head on crash in excess of 200km impact. Leon was in Rotorua Hospital with nearly every bone in his body broken.
Things got worse knowing that if Leon did come through he would be paralyzed from the neck down. If I had to choose between Leon being paralyzed or being with Mum and Simon I know which one I’d happily choose.
I rang a few of my best friends and told them what had happened they couldn’t believe it. Tears were all I heard from them and their mums. They were all there for me that night and till are.
We grabbed our things and headed to where Simon lived which was just a few doors down from Mum’s house. We tried to find some keys to Mum’s house or to his work vehicle for a garage door opener but we found absolutely nothing. It was heart-wrenching. I couldn’t get into my own home. We took Harley home and headed back to Dads, I had a shower and just went to bed.
I slept surprisingly well considering what had just happened. All I thought about that night was what fun times Mum and I had had in the past. I miss those terribly.
On Monday morning at about 8am I was already talking on the phone to Harley to see when he was coming around. I heard Dad scream and told Harley I’d call him back soon. I rushed out to the lounge and Dad turned to me and said “Leon died!” He broke down in tears as I threw a chair across the room in rage. Dad and Leon are long-life friends just like Leon and Simon. I dropped to the ground in tears and just started screaming.
That was the angriest day of my life. Half an hour later I rang Harley back and attempted to say “Leon died”. He just said "Marie, I know”.
The week went on and some things got worse and some things got better but I know that no-one can change what happened that day.
The Detective explained to us that at sometime on the road Mum, Simon and Leon were traveling with the drunk driver coming the opposite direction, someone was going to die. Unfortunately it was Mum, Simon and Leon.
For every 100 drunk drivers or motorcyclists killed in road crashes there are 55 of their passengers and another 35 sober road users who die with them.
Gordon Armstrong, aged 53 was one of those drunk drivers who murdered three innocent people. And then died himself on Tuesday 31st April.
In 2005 drunk driving was a major factor in 100 fatal traffic crashes, 390 seriously injured and 940 minor injuries. These crashes resulted in 115 deaths, 518 serious injuries and 1474 minor injuries. The total cost of these crashes involving drunk drivers was about 660 million dollars.
Wouldn’t we rather spend that money on something more useful than having to try and save people because some idiot had too much to drink and then got behind a wheel.
Three weeks after the accident I decided that I needed to know where two amazing, caring, loving, innocent people were killed and where another’s life started spiraling down hill rapidly.
Dad, Harley and I headed out there and got an idea of what happened. All the paint marks from the investigation were all still there as well as parts of motorbike, and car. With Dad and Harley both being bike and car mad they figured out which parts were which. I picked up pieces of motorbike and helmet and have them in a safe place.
Mum, Simon and Leon were traveling along a straight piece of road on Sate Highway 33. The same time as a drunk driver was heading the opposite way. When the car was approximately ten meters away from the bikes the car crossed the centre line and hit Simon and Mum head on with no time for them to react. Simon was killed instantly along with my Mum who was on the back of Simon’s bike. She was catapulted from the rear of the bike shattering her back and neck. She flew approximately 20 meters, hit the ground, bounced and then flew over a bank and into a big soft pile of grass.
As for Leon who was riding behind Simon and my Mum, he saw the car coming and tried to avoid it but couldn’t and was also hit head on. He had every bone in his back broken and other multiple injuries. Simon and Leon’s bikes were found lying side by side which I thought was typical of those two Side by side.
Leon was flown to Rotorua Hospital where he went through a six hour operation. He lived for a few hours after the operation giving him enough time to talk to his wife and family but due to internal bleeding which the doctors couldn’t stop, Leon passed away on Monday 30th April surrounded by his family.
Mum wasn’t found straight away because she had been thrown so far away from the carnage. It wasn’t until someone spotted her red jacket and realized there had been three people on the two bikes.
My Uncle called into the Rotorua Police to pick up the gear that Mum had on. Mum’s helmet was unmarked apart from a broken visor. Her jacket had a small blood stain on the shoulder blade and a grass stain on the back. Her gloves and boots smelt of petrol and oil. The only piece of clothing we didn’t get back was Mum’s riding pants and we don’t know why. We think they were cut off her at the scene.
When we were allowed to see Mum she had no scratches or bruises on her. She looked just like she was asleep which for me was a huge relief.
When we went to see Simon, all I can say is that they did an amazing job of him considering his horrific injuries. Leon looked just like Leon always does. Two days growth on his face, his Tui shirt and jandals on. They all looked to be at peace.
Leon’s funeral had an awesome turnout. Well at least as good as funerals get. There were between five and seven hundred people who had traveled from all over the world to see Leon off on his next mission. Leon was always on a mission of some sort.
Mum and Simon had a joint funeral which is what they would have both wanted. We expected six to seven hundred people but were amazed when more than 1200 people walked through those doors to support our families and send my Mum and Simon on their next journey.
My message to you all is that DRUNK DRIVING KILLS.
We might ignore the ads on TV, Bill Boards around town or the messages your parents try to tell you about drink driving.
But please I’m asking you now to seriously think about these messages because I know the effects it has on all those left behind.
Drunk Drivers are killers and we are letting murderers drive on our roads. I don’t want you or any of your friends or family to have to go through what I have. It will scar you for life, it really will.
So when you get your license or next get behind the wheel of a car just think about what you have had to drink in the last 8 – 10 hours and are you safe to drive.
Is the person driving the car you are about to get into safe to drive or is that driver going to murder more innocent people including you?
I hope you all hear what I am saying.
Ride free Mum, Simon and Leon
