Over 5400 responses have flooded into social media in support of a Canberra campaign by grieving parents pushing for stronger penalties for street racing, drug driving and other dangerous road behaviour.
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The campaign has been launched by Tom McLuckie, the father of Matthew, who was killed in a head-on crash on Hindmarsh Drive on May 19.
Matthew McLuckie had been driving home from work and his vehicle climbing Hindmarsh Drive toward Woden when another car, driving on the wrong side of the dual lane carriageway road, appeared over the crest of the hill and collided head-on with him.
Matthew, 20, was extracted from his smashed vehicle and intubated by paramedics, but died of his injuries at the scene. Police say he was a completely blameless victim in the crash.
The woman driving the other vehicle was also extracted and conveyed to hospital with severe injuries.
ACT police are yet to interview the woman driver, and have not yet preferred charges.
Police are still seeking a third driver who was involved in the incident but fled the scene without rendering assistance.
Matthew had been studying at the ANU for an honours degree in advanced computing, having started the same year as the COVID pandemic first emerged.
Six weeks on from the terrible incident, the family remains devastated by their loss.
After the incident, Mr McLuckie spoke of how he could not "describe in words the pain of losing our son in such a senseless and absolutely avoidable accident. He was a young man, coming home from work, to a home where he was loved, with his dinner waiting for him in the fridge".
"Everyone who knew our lovely young man has been devastated by his loss, his future being robbed from him so needlessly. He had so much more to give, so much love to share."
Entitled "ACTnowforsaferroads", the McLuckie campaign is backed by "citizens who are fed up with people who put innocent Canberran lives at risk due to their willful, reckless indifference on our roads".
"Our goals are raising awareness of consequences and to bring about harsher laws," the social media page states.
Posted on the Canberra Notice Board page on social media, Mr McLuckie and the organisers of the page have sent a message of thanks to those who have supported them and for the "beautiful comments on Tom's [McLuckie's] post last night".
"We have read them all and we feel, more than ever, that the good people of Canberra are behind us," it states.
Hundreds of comments of support and sympathy have also flowed to the grieving family.
Separate to that social media campaign, a GoFundMe page has been established in which the partner of the female driver, who is identified in the text as "Shakira", is seeking to raise money to pay for medical expenses.
The text offers a different account.
The partner claims: "my partner Shakira was involved in a high speed collision car crash. In which she was ran off the road and collided with another car".
The organiser of the GoFundMe page, Billie Paea, describes how the woman "has had to undergo brain surgery to stop bleeding on the brain".
"She has multiple broken bones in her legs and ankle surgery. Stomach surgery from impact which almost ripped her apart.
"Back, neck operations and both shoulders - all funds will go to her medical bills.
"She was in a coma for 17 days and had been on life support but is now stable and on the road to recovery. She is young and strong , she has been fighting to survive - we have all been praying for her recovery".
ACT police said they were aware of the McLuckie-led campaign seeking stronger penalties for serious driving offences.
"ACT Policing regularly engages with the ACT Government on legislative changes," they said in a statement.
"We do support any Canberran engaging with the community and government if they believe current legislation should be changed."
In the past two and a half years, more than 1100 criminal charges were laid in relation to serious driving offences in the ACT.
