The heartbroken parents of young lives cut short in separate Western Australian road tragedies have issued a powerful plea to all drivers, begging for greater caution and attention behind the wheel.
A Father's Unimaginable Loss
Peter Frazer's world shattered on February 23, 2012, when his beloved daughter Sarah, aged 23, was killed in a crash on the Hume Highway in New South Wales. While the tragedy occurred interstate, Peter, now a resident of Western Australia, channels his grief into a national campaign for road safety. Sarah and a tow truck driver, named Geoff, died after a truck driver failed to move over, as required by law, striking them as they stood by Sarah's broken-down vehicle.
Peter Frazer co-founded the SARAH Group (Safer Australian Roads and Highways) in his daughter's memory. He stresses that road safety is a shared responsibility. "We need to look out for each other," he implores, highlighting that simple actions like slowing down and moving over for stopped vehicles can save lives.
A Mother's Grief Close to Home
In a separate and more recent incident, the WA community of Yanchep is mourning the loss of 16-year-old Cooper Barends. The teenager died in a horrific two-vehicle collision on Indian Ocean Drive in Nowergup on the afternoon of Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Cooper's mother, Tammy Barends, shared her family's devastation. She described her son as a "beautiful soul" with a bright future ahead of him, a future violently stolen in an instant. The crash, which occurred around 3:40 PM, also left a 41-year-old woman from Butler seriously injured. She was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.
"Please, please slow down and pay attention," Tammy begged, speaking through her profound grief. Her message is a raw and direct appeal to every person who gets behind the wheel. She urged drivers to consider the irreversible consequences of a moment's inattention or a reckless decision.
The Aftermath and a Unified Plea
Major Crash investigators are still working to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fatal collision that took Cooper's life. The incident has left another family shattered and a community in deep sorrow.
These two stories, separated by years but united by unbearable loss, underscore a critical message. Road trauma is preventable. Both Peter and Tammy's pleas converge on the same fundamental principles of driver responsibility:
- Slowing down, especially in high-risk or unknown areas.
- Eliminating distractions and maintaining full attention on the road.
- Showing courtesy and care for other road users, including those broken down on the roadside.
Their heartbreaking experiences are a stark reminder that every statistic represents a beloved son, daughter, parent, or friend. As Peter Frazer continues his advocacy and Tammy Barends begins her life-long journey of grief, their hope is that other families will be spared their pain through increased driver vigilance and a collective commitment to road safety across Western Australia and the nation.
