Heartfelt tributes to ‘genuine bloke’
FLORAL tributes with heartfelt messages for a young life lost too soon adorn a power pole in the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah.
It is the scene of a tragic fatal accident that claimed the life of 28-year-old man Narayan early Sunday.
“To Narayan, you will always be with me everywhere I go. I will always remember the good times we had. Love you”, is one of the emotional messages left on a brightly coloured bouquet.
The crash occurred about 12.40am after police were called to Tumbulgum Road.
When officers arrived a vehicle sped off and crashed at high speed into a pole at the front of a home a short distance up the road.
The impact killed Narayan, the driver, and while his passenger escaped injury, witnesses said he was incredibly distraught at the loss of his friend.
Neighbours yesterday recalled the horrible crashing sound and screams of distress when the car smashed into the power pole.
A young man laying a tribute at the scene known only as Joel said the victim was a great mate. “I knew him from around town and he was one of the most genuine blokes I knew,” he said.
Nearby residents Barb and Paul Carroll were among the first on the scene.
“I just heard what sounded like a car speeding and then a huge crash as it hit the pole,” Mrs Carroll said. “I grabbed the phone and rang triple 0 because I could hear there was a lot of distress and a bit of yelling.
“It was pretty awful because the passenger was in extreme shock and it’s a very sad event with the loss of a young person’s life for no good reason.”
Mr Carroll said he found the mangled wreck of the white Holden Commodore and tried to help.
“The driver’s door directly hit the pole and the passenger was very agitated – he was just yelling and abusing everybody,” Mr Carroll said.
Unfortunately, it is not the first time a car has crashed into the front yard of a home ono Tumbulgum Drive, with Mr and Mrs Carroll recalling multiple incidents in the 26 years they have lived there.
“People just need to slow down and there needs to be safety rails installed because often the car mounts the footpath and during the day there are a lot of young children and families that walk along there,” Mrs Carroll said.
A critical incident team from Richmond Local Area Command will investigate the accident. It will be overseen by the Professional Standards Command.
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.