Snapchat delivers news of tragedy
WAKING up on Sunday morning, the first thing Trent Thomsen did was reach for his phone to check his social media.
When the Booval 18-yearold opened a Snapchat from his cousin, he couldn’t believe the words he read.
“All she said was ‘Trent, your mum died last night’ – that’s all she said,” Trent said. He closed the Snapchat. His mum Julie Thomsen, 36, had been walking along the Warrego Hwy the night before when she was struck by a car and killed.
Then came the phone calls.
“My sister and grandma rang me straight afterwards,” he said.
“But I still don’t know really anything about it because nobody in the family has been telling me anything.
“The only thing I know is that my mum was hit by a car and died.”
Trent spent Sunday crying and said while his relationship with his mother was strained, he loved her and missed her.
For Trent, the accident harked back to an incident from his childhood when he, as a seven-year-old, was hit by a car and nearly lost his life.
Trent said he remembered his mother as a funny and fun mother – though he was estranged from her after the incident and estimated he had only seen her five times since.
“What I know of her, she tries to look after all her kids as best as she can,” he said.
“From what I can see, she is nice, caring and helpful – she is always offering to look after her friends’ kids if they want to have a break.”
Police said Julie was walking beside the Warrego Hwy after her car broke down when she was hit by a car.
Gatton police and the Toowoomba Forensic Crash Unit are investigating and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
If you or anyone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.