Family’s road appeal
A family’s life changed forever when one bad decision cost a man his life
A FAMILY grieving the loss of Tablelands man Murray Wills is urging drivers to think before they make a move on the roads.
They discussed the safety campaign “Are You Worth 2 Seconds” in memory of the 49-year-old motorcyclist as they opened up about how he never got to meet his youngest son.
Mareeba man Norman John Noel Small, 50, was jailed after being found guilty by a jury of dangerous driving causing death.
LITTLE Murray Wills Junior is the spitting image of man he will tragically never get to meet.
His cheek, his charm, his eyes, his smile – so much about the 18-month-old reminds his mum Liz Wills of her partner – his dad and namesake.
Liz and Murray Senior were bristling with excitement in November 2017.
The Millstream couple already had a beloved son Lee, born in 2016, but had just found out they were pregnant again, had their 12-week scan and were preparing to tell their families the happy news.
It was a Friday night and Murray was riding towards home from work on his Harley Davidson, no doubt with his family on his mind and the weekend ahead.
At 49 he was a bit later to the fatherhood game than some, but was the ultimate dedicated dad, having wanted kids his whole life and finally having his dream come true after meeting his “soulmate” Liz a few years earlier.
“He used to come in to my work,” Liz recalled.
“She rejected him at first,” Murray’s sister Dale interjected, laughing.
“Murray had always wanted children so when he found out Liz was pregnant with their first child he was so excited. “They were soulmates.”
And then it all fell apart. A split decision by another motorist to pull into an Atherton service station to buy a drink – he didn’t see Murray who crashed head-on into his turning car.
Severely injured, he was flown from Atherton to Cairns Hospital’s intensive care unit and fought for two days until his life support was switched off.
The sight of the helipad at Atherton Hospital still brings Liz undone.
Their happy pregnancy news wasn’t told with cake and balloons, but in the cold confines of the ICU, or at Murray’s funeral nine days later.
This was not how it was meant to be for their family.
“We were so happy in our perfect world,” Liz said.
“Murray was a father for only 14 months, but in that time he was the best father.”
Life has gone on as it must, the boys are growing and are both fun-loving and troublemaking toddlers at three and 18 months.
Liz struggles every day, lost and lonely, forced on to medication to help her through, gaining weight through a hormone imbalance brought on by the trauma.
She worries she is not being the mother she wanted to be for her little boys. But she is determined that while neither will remember their passionate outdoorsman dad, who loved dirt biking, camping and fishing, they will know all about him.
Murray’s grave at Atherton cemetery is just a stone’s throw from where he was tragically killed. His memorial plaque tells of Liz’s heartache.
“At the start of our journey you were taken,” it reads. “When you died a part of me died too. My heart is forever sad my babies will never get to know your beautiful heart or your power of character. You were the best father and husband I could of imagined. You made my life complete.”