Two-second campaign launched after Wills death

TWO seconds would have saved the life of Millstream man Murray Wills and his devastated family hope his death will not be in vain in a campaign they hope could save lives.

The 49-year-old father was riding his motorbike southbound on the Kennedy Highway just outside Atherton in November 2017 when he was struck by a Jeep which pulled across his path into a petrol station.

Last week the Jeep driver, Mareeba disability pensioner Norman John Noel Small, 50, was jailed after being found guilty by a jury of dangerous driving causing death.

Mr Wills’ partner Liz and sister Dale delivered heartbreaking victim impact statements in court, speaking of how much his death had traumatised their family.

Speaking outside court Dale said they had begun a campaign entitled “Are You Worth 2 Seconds” in a desperate bid to prevent careless actions on the road.

“It’s about taking two seconds to look properly because that is all it would have taken to save Murray,” she said.

“If you do that 60 times in a day you’ve lost just two minutes of your day.

“And are you worth someone else taking two seconds to save your life?

Ms Wills said it was not a high-profile campaign, no social media groups or bumper stickers, just a message they hoped people would hear and share.

“We just want to get it out there to make people realise. It’s not nice and I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we have,” she said.

“There are no winners, there’s just devastation.”

Small, a father of four, was forced to give up work several years ago due to health problems after becoming infected with leptospirosis while working on a banana farm.

Cairns District Court heard last week he had no criminal history, although he was caught unlicensed driving in 2015.

His defence barrister Peter

Feeney had argued during the trial that bright lighting from the Mobil service station had obstructed his view as he pulled in.

“The death of Mr Wills has affected him greatly,” Mr Feeney said.

The jury took just over 90 minutes to reach its verdict on Friday afternoon.

Small was sentenced to two years’ jail, suspended after serving nine months.