Someone’s hand’
30, went home in a wheelchair and four weeks ago began walking again with crutches, although she’s now able to walk around at home without support. Two days after getting out of the wheelchair, she went bowling on crutches in Rotorua with her friends — and won.
She says what has happened has happened and focusing her sights on what’s ahead is, for her, the only option.
“Yeah, it [the accident] happened and I cry every now and then and I cried about my scars on display and not being able to do some sports and activities and maybe not being able to do my job again, but I’ll deal with that when I come to it.
“I’m not willing to let everything I’ve planned on doing in my life go. I’ve got tramps I still plan to do and places I still want to go so I’m going to try my best to get back to where I was.”
As part of her new life, Kelsey went along to the Blue Light Taupo¯ AGM last month and joined the committee, saying getting involved is something she wants to do to give back to her community.
She also has other plans that have arisen as a result of the accident.
“Something I’d like to do in my future is go around schools and promote road safety and use my reallife near-death experience as to why it’s important to wear a seatbelt, safety ratings in vehicles, working brakes, things like that. You might think you’re the best driver in the world but [an accident’s] not necessarily your fault.
“Our philosophy is there’s no point dwelling on it. Yes, something bad has happened but sitting there crying about it isn’t going to fix it. You have to try and get up and make the best of what you’ve been given because you can only go up.”
Kelsey wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who was involved on the day of the crash and says, when the time is right, there will be a lot of cakes being dropped off to various emergency services.
“I have a much higher respect for those people and what they do for their job now. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. I’ll be forever grateful for that and I’m going to give back by doing this Blue Light thing and maybe other things in the future and maybe helping out with my community more.”
Kelsey says she now regrets having been driving a car with only a one-star safety rating, although that one star — the driver and passengerside airbags — made a difference. Taupo¯ road policing manager Senior Sergeant Fane Troy says although cars are becoming safer as technology improves and a car with a five-star safety rating might reduce the likelihood of being killed or seriously injured in a crash, it is not a silver bullet.
“Unfortunately we’ve been to a number of crashes over the years where there’s been serious injuries where the vehicles have a five-star safety rating,” he said. “The safest way we can be protected on the road is through driving behaviour.”
Troy urged drivers, particularly young drivers and their parents, to look for a five-star safety rating when buying a vehicle, even brand-new ones. The website www.rightcar.govt. nz will give ANCAP, USCR or VSRR safety ratings for vehicles.
A man has been charged in connection with the crash, including driving while under the influence of drugs and causing injury, driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and failing to stop or ascertain injury after a crash.
I’m not willing to let everything I’ve planned on doing in my life go.
Kelsey Tarrant