Nick Campo dad’s harrowing plea to top cop after horror weekend on Western Australia’s roads
A father whose son died in a tragic crash has called on police to do more to tackle road safety after a series of horrific fatalities.
Three major crashes in Western Australia this weekend left six people dead, while six others suffered various injuries.
The state’s police commander, Mike Bell, revealed that Daniel Campo, the father of 18-year-old Nick, an aspiring footy star, called him on Saturday evening and advocated changes to road safety messages.
He said Campo was shocked by the deaths of three men, a 34-year-old and two aged 22, when the car they were in crashed into a tree in Perth earlier that morning.
The tragedy had “clearly reminded” him of his son’s death when the plane he was traveling in, believed to be dangerously piloted by a pilot, crashed on July 13.
Despite their heartbreak, Nick’s parents have urged young Aussies to stay safe on the roads in the months following his death.
“He’s just annoyed that his message that youth should slow down and adapt to conditions and that parents should talk to their children about the need to follow safety rules is just not getting through,” Commander Bell told the West Australian .
‘I can understand his frustration because I’ve been at it for much longer than 14 weeks and I feel the same frustration.’
The father of a teenager killed in a tragic car crash, Daniel Campo (pictured), has called on WA Police to improve road safety messaging after a horror weekend on the state’s roads
WA highway police commander Mike Bell (pictured) said he “felt the same frustration” as Mr Campo over “safety rules that just aren’t getting through” to young people
The police commander added that WA police will have to “find new ways to get through to people” after the Campos’ previous pleas appeared to fall on deaf ears.
“Driving is a dangerous activity and you have to pay attention because unexpected things happen,” he said.
“Sometimes driver behavior directly contributes to those accidents.”
The alleged driver of the ute that crashed on Saturday, Zack Thomas Heylen, faced the Northbridge Magistrates Court during a bedside hearing on Sunday.
Police allege the 22-year-old was traveling at 70mph in a 70mph zone when he hit a curb and then crashed into a tree just after 5am in Carlisle, Perth.
He is said to have returned a preliminary breath test reading of 0.095, but police are still waiting for the results of a second test.
Heylen suffered minor injuries, while two other men, aged 23 and 19, were taken to Royal Perth Hospital in serious conditions.
Within hours of his court appearance, police confirmed the deaths of two Indonesian women in a separate crash in Neergabby, north of Perth, on Saturday afternoon.
Six people were killed in three crashes this weekend, three of them when a car reportedly traveling at high speed hit a curb before crashing into a tree on Saturday (pictured)
The crash clearly reminded Campo of the death of his 18-year-old son, Nick (photo), when his partner allegedly crashed where he was on July 13.
The 23- and 31-year-olds suffered critical injuries after their Honda Accord collided with a silver Jeep Cherokee. They could not be revived.
Paramedics treated the Jeep driver and four passengers at the scene for varying levels of non-life-threatening injuries.
The sixth death came after an 83-year-old woman suffered a medical episode while driving in Alexander Heights, north Perth, and crashed into another vehicle.
The horror weekend pushed WA’s road toll to 146, just below last year’s figure of 158, and sounded alarm bells for the state government.
“My team is working on the road safety summit recommendations,” Prime Minister Roger Cook said.
“Especially when we heard from people like Daniel Campo who were just pleading, can we keep our youth, our young adults, a little bit safer this year.”
Nick Campo celebrated his 18th birthday the night he died in a horror crash
Mr Cook said his government would continue to invest billions in our regional road safety improvements, but reiterated the call for young people to drive safely.
‘It’s very simple: don’t be distracted by your mobile phone, don’t drive tired, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, wear a seat belt.
‘Make good decisions and ride according to the circumstances.’