Worongary, Australia (The Weekly Vice) - Just weeks after a grieving mother lost her daughter to a fatal car crash, Australia's Main Roads Department has issued a demand she never dreamed she'd have to encounter. Payment in full for the damage her daughter's car brought to a guardrail that failed to save her daughter's life.
Wendy Flett's daughter, 26-year-old Krista Flett, died June 13 when her car crossed the Pacific Motorway median and ploughed into oncoming northbound traffic. It wasn't long before a brawl between government bodies erupted over the lack of safety rail protection between north and southbound lanes.
The argument that developed between safety advocates and the Main Roads Minister, Craig Wallace, was little comfort to Wendy, considering her daughter was gone. Grieving the loss of their daughter seemed to be handful enough.
That all changed when a letter came from the Department of Main Roads making a claim for the cost of repairs to one of the few guardrails that exist along the roadway.
The letter reads:
"Roadside property such as guardrails, traffic lights and landscaping are maintained by Main Roads with taxpayers' funds for the benefit of the whole community. By law, this department is required to recover the costs and damage from the responsible driver and this letter is to advise you about that process. Main roads has accessed the most economical way of repairing the damage and will invoice the Estate of (the family) for those costs when finalized."
The letter then concludes by offering these words of empathy: "I am sorry for your loss and understand that this situation may be difficult for Ms. Flett's family."
Needless to say, when local media printed the contents of the letter earlier this week, shit hit the fan - as it rightfully should have. Now Main Roads Minister, Craig Wallace, has emerged once again to explain his department's bumbling - apologizing for the letter.
"This should not have happened and I apologize for the distress this undoubtedly caused the family," said Wallace.
While Wendy Flett has accepted the apology, she has vowed to not allow the issue to be swept under the rug.
"I never want this to happen to anyone else, it's unpleasant," said Flett. "It brings back the whole horror of the night that happened. You just have to relive it all again."
The Weekly Vice Opinion:
It's nice to know the we in the U.S. are not alone when it comes to being governed by a bureaucratic system that's run by buffoons with no common sense. Wendy Flett, we truly hope your boot connects firmly to every ass that deserves kicking.
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
http://www.theweeklyvice.com
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9 comments:
The wheels of justice grind slow but exceedingly stupid.
Hey! I just want to let you know that I admire your natural talent in writing, you are such a gifted person... Have a great day!
It takes effort to track down a next of kin, their address, and all the details that went into that letter. It was intentionally sent, not an oversight. Heads should roll for such stupidity.
That's nice... the public gives you a little heat for not installing guard rails, so you start sending bills to accident victims families.
I assume these loons will all keep their jobs, which is the kind of thing you get with big government.
Stupidity and no way of getting rid of it.
I've nothing good to say about the people who run my country.
Is the situation same or more civil in USA?Here in Australia in parliament they act like a bunch of children-yelling, calling each other names etc
If, keyword if, the accident was her fault, why should taxpayers have to pay to replace the guardrail?
Doesn't insurance pay for property damage? That should cover it. What's a guard-rail cost anyway? They should just leave the poor girl's family alone and hit up the insurance company. After all,IT IS property damage!
I think there is a fatal mistake of government. The Government should make the proper security.
being hard core about this. But I know this to be done in the USA. If you are at fault for the accident you pay. I would thin that insurance would cover this as property damage however and the bill should be sent to the insurance company. From what I can recall they are quite expensive.
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