MY BOY DIDN’T NEED TO DIE
GEELONG ROAD TOLL SHAME
A GRIEVING mother has pleaded for greater safety on local roads after new data revealed Greater Geelong roads are the deadliest in the state.
Tsehay Gebre, mother of 11-year-old fatal crash victim Ebenezer Nur (pictured), the Transport Accident Commission, police and the Geelong
Advertiser have joined forces to campaign to reduce the regional road toll. The TAC says Victorian drivers are almost five times more likely to die on regional roads than in Melbourne, with 400 deaths on Greater Geelong roads since 1987.
CELEBRATING her son’s birthday, his academic and sporting achievements, and hearing about his latest plan to make her smile is what Tsehay Gebre misses the most.
Five years ago Ms Gebre’s 11-year-old son, Ebenezer Nur, was killed as he rode his bike to school in Corio.
Sending Ebenezer off on his bike was one of the freedoms Ms Gebre came to Australia to enjoy, but it had tragic consequences for the single mother.
On the morning of May 27, 2013, a bus turning from Purnell Rd hit Ebenezer as he rode through a Bacchus Marsh Rd pedestrian crossing.
“My world collapsed around me when my son was taken from me in this accident. This is something that never ever leaves you. It is permanent,” Ms Gebre said.
“Road deaths are not just statistics. They are loved ones: they are my son, someone’s parent, someone’s sibling, someone’s friend — gone forever.
“My dream for Ebenezer was for a good life.”
Now Ms Gebre is left with memories of Ebenezer’s smile and his thoughtfulness — like the time he urged her to be tested for breast cancer.
Pictures from various stages of his life are hung around Ms Gebre’s Norlane home and the letters of his name are pasted on her garage as a permanent memorial.
The bond Ms Gebre shared with her son after fleeing Ethiopia and arriving in South Africa and later Australia sharpens her loss
and the burden she must carry.
The loss of Ebenezer has left Ms Gebre reliant on medication and the constant support of psychologists and psychiatrists.
Two years after the accident, the TAC found the bus driver involved was negligent and awarded Ms
Tsehay Gebre’s message to road users: “I lost my only child in a horrible road accident which has broken my heart. This should never happen to anyone.
We all need to play our part to prevent road accidents and to make our roads safe.
Drivers need to drive responsibly and pedestrians need to be careful.”
Gebre compensation.
But she says no amount of money will ever be enough.
She hopes speaking out will bring about change among drivers who have become complacent about road safety.
“I hope that people seeing my face and Ebenezer’s face wake up and remember this every time they drive on our roads. You can make a difference.”