Grieving family on mission to change law
THE family of a little girl mowed down by an elderly driver in a supermarket car park are calling on the State Government to enforce age restrictions on older drivers.
Indie Armstrong, 6, was struck by an out-of-control car driven by 86-year-old Miriam Grace Paton at a Nambour shopping centre on June 17.
Mrs Paton was reversing her silver hatchback when she lost control, hitting the Armstrong family who were standing in a pedestrian refuge near the car park.
After months of grieving, Indie’s family say they want to “start a conversation” about changing the law for elderly drivers.
Currently, Queensland drivers over 75 are required to carry a special medical certificate driver form, which is subject to regular medical assessments and must be renewed every 13 months.
Indie’s mother Emily, aunt Tamika Bampton and grandmother Sandy Bampton say they believe there should be an age restriction placed on elderly drivers, but it should be left to police and politicians to determine what age that should be.
In a bid to overcome their emotional and physical pain, the family wants to be the voice of change in Queensland.
Yearly medical assessments are not enough. They say they won’t stop until elderly drivers are made to retake their driving tests regularly, with the worst drivers restricted from getting behind the wheel.
“You get to a certain age and you should have to do a driving test to see if you can turn your head, to see if you can see out your eyes, to see if you can look backwards, to see if you can see over the steering wheel, and to see if your body functions well enough,” Sandy said. “It needs to be when you get to a certain age, you’ve got to go in and prove that you can drive. And then it’s just law, it’s not anything personal.”
In a cruel twist, Indie’s death was not classified as a road fatality or a pedestrian fatality, because the incident happened in a privately owned car park.
Instead, Indie’s name was placed among an obscure set of statistics that rarely shows up in media reports and government press releases.
“It’s hindering us being able to change laws because they’re not added to the tally. They (the stats) look a hell of a lot better than what they really are, and that’s sad,” Indie’s aunt Tamika Bampton said.
“We can’t just be looking at road fatalities. If we’re looking at elderly drivers and changing the laws for them then it needs to include all statistics, not just road.”
Mrs Paton, who had been facing a count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, died earlier this month. Her last words were: “I’ve killed a child and I don’t want to live anymore.’’
Indie’s mother, Emily, said Mrs Paton should not have been driving. “As much as it makes me angry, if (she) had have had her driving tested when she got her licence renewed, she would’ve had her licence taken off her,” Emily said. “She would still be living her life. She might have been a bit cranky about it but she would be living her life and we would be living our life and Indie would be with us.”
The heartbroken family said they wanted to use the road safety campaign to remind motorists and pedestrians about the dangers behind the wheel.
They want their devastating loss to serve as a reminder for others on the road this busy festive period.
The accident has shattered the Armstrongs’ once pictureperfect family life. Emily said Indie had an “enthusiasm for life that was infectious”.
And she made the most of her short six years on earth – whether she was sorting prawns with her father or matching her outfits perfectly in their Sunshine Coast home.
“I miss my morning cuddles, her crazy stories and the sparks she brought to our family,” Emily said. “I miss our cuddles at night time. She would always say ‘I love you to the moon and back’.”
Emily called Indie “Dad’s little offsider” and she hoped her little girl’s story would encourage people to be extra cau-
IT NEEDS TO BE WHEN YOU GET TO A CERTAIN AGE YOU’VE GOT TO GO IN AND PROVE THAT YOU CAN DRIVE. SANDY BAMPTON
tious on Queensland roads over Christmas.
The accident took a heavy toll on the Armstrongs, and not just from the loss of a beloved child.
Indie’s eight-year-old sister, Lily, suffered a broken leg and has been struggling with extreme post traumatic stress as a result of the incident.