• A mother’s pain turned into purpose: After losing her son in a devastating crash, Mary bravely shares her story to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak—hoping even one life might be saved.
• The ripple effects of road trauma are profound: Road accidents impact far more than those directly involved, leaving lasting emotional, physical and psychological effects on families, friends and communities.
• Support and compassion matter in the aftermath: Access to clear, caring support—in this case, through CTP—can ease the burden during unimaginable times, helping families focus on healing, recovery and taking each day as it comes.

Since her sons’ accident in 2025, Mary has been navigating a life forever changed, carrying grief, recovery, and the conflicting emotions that trauma leaves behind. There is no clear way forward, only the courage to take small steps one day at a time.

“They say grief comes in waves. Sometimes you get dumped and you’re held under for a while, and sometimes you get a break. There are days where you feel like you can breathe, and there are even days where you can breathe without any sort of guilt. But then, the simplest thing can break you and send you back into the spiral again,” explains Mary.

Haydn was a much‑loved son, brother, grandson, nephew and mate. He was at the beginning of his life, with plans and a future ahead of him.

“He was phenomenal. Always thinking outside the box,” smiles Mary.

“He had a great bunch of mates and loved having fun with them. He’d just bought his first car. He was coming into the prime of his life.

“Every memory of Haydn is my favourite, because it’s all I have now. For the rest of my life, I know there will be moments when I wish he was here for this, or when I think he would have really loved that.”

Support when it matters most

As Mary continues to process the loss of Haydn one year on from the accident, she remains a constant source of support for her surviving son, helping him through ongoing physical rehabilitation while navigating grief and care.

“To say I was numb after the accident was an understatement,” she says.

“But somehow being a mother, you find a way to put one foot in front of the other. There was no room for any reasoning or decision making, I just needed to be there for my child. The only option is to be there for him.”

In the aftermath of tragedy, navigating the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance process was not top of mind. However, it became an important step in connecting her family with the long-term care and assistance needed for recovery.

In moments like this, the quality of support people receive matters because when a family is in shock, clear and compassionate CTP guidance can take complexity off their shoulders and make the next steps feel possible.

CTP insurance is mandatory motor vehicle cover in Australia that helps people affected by road accidents access treatment, care and financial support. While each state and territory operates different schemes, CTP plays a quiet but important role in easing the burden of recovery for individuals and families after serious road trauma.

Joey, a CTP Claims Advisor for Suncorp brand AAMI, was assigned Mary’s claim.

“In my role in CTP, we support people in situations where life hasn’t been fair. People come to me under the most tragic circumstances, and Mary’s case was one of the hardest," says Joey.

“There’s so much information available when it comes to CTP, whether it’s loss of wages, treatment or care. My job is about making the process as simple as possible for someone who is already dealing with so much."

Patience, understanding and empathy sit at the heart of the Claims Advisor role. In the early days, the focus is simply on being there, offering practical support and helping put arrangements in place for treatment, rehabilitation and care. As recovery progresses, that support naturally evolves, shaped by regular connection, changing needs and trust that grows over time.

“Joey has been amazing. He just kept calling and explaining things to me, and checking in on me,” says Mary.

"The fog slowly started separating and things started to become clearer.

He’s become one of the family now.”

Joey says Mary’s courage in the face of tragedy has inspired him, reinforcing the importance of specialised support for customers in the moments that matter.

“Mary has taught me resilience beyond measure. What she’s gone through has been the most traumatic thing I could ever think of.  Every day she gets up and has made a huge effort to get her life back in order, stay at work and care for her son. That resilience inspires me every day.

Anything we can do to take away some sort of burden for Mary or any other customer is just so important,” says Joey.

The unseen impact of road trauma

While Mary’s experience is deeply personal, it reflects a broader reality faced by families across Australia. Suncorp and AAMI partner, Australian Road Safety Foundation reports that 1,314 people lost their lives on Australian roads in 2025. Beyond these numbers are the many thousands more who are seriously injured each year, and the families and communities who live with lasting emotional, physical and psychological impacts long after the crash itself.

“It doesn’t affect just one person,” Mary says. “It affects your family, your extended family, your friends, the people you work with and the people who respond and care afterwards.”

For Mary, sharing her story is both painful and purposeful. She is a passionate motor safety advocate, dedicating her cause to her late son’s memory.

“I’ve lived through an extremely traumatic event. I’ve lost a child, and I have a child who is paralysed because of the accident. I don’t want anyone to experience what my son has been through,” she says.

Mary hopes that by speaking out, her experience might help spare others from the same loss.

“If my story helps even one person pause, make safer choices, or avoid going through something similar altogether then I feel grateful knowing I’ve helped someone.”

What one mother wants young drivers to know

Mary’s message is simple.

“It doesn’t have to be reckless driving that causes an accident. My son was a good driver; he made a bad judgement, and I saw the worst of what can happen," says Mary.

“It takes a split second for something to go wrong and the results are devastating."

Mary’s story is shared in support of the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s Fatality Free Friday initiative, which is grounded in the belief that achieving just one day without a road death can show what’s possible when road safety is prioritised every day.

Mary is just one of the many impacted by road trauma each year. In support of Mary and families like hers, she encourages you to share this story with others in the hope we can improve road safety across the country.

If you or someone you know needs support please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.