Hope after tragedy

A Blenheim family whose lives changed forever after a tragic accident are finding hope again.

Three months ago, Mitre 10 Mega owner David Hawtin and his partner Amy Darling were seriously hurt in a horrific car accident that killed David’s dad, Graeme.

Now the pair have pledged to raise funds for the people who helped save their lives by sponsoring the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter service.

It is important to the family that something good happens out of the tragedy.

“The emergency services were so good, we couldn’t fault them and this how we want to thank them,” David says.

“There were a lot of little miracles that day, but it showed us it’s all out of our control.”

“Life can change in the blink of an eye,” Amy says, “life is precious.”

It had been a wonderful December day, a day filled with love and laughter as the family took their boat out on Lake Rotoiti.

But as they headed home a drunk driver crashed headfirst into David’s Ford Raptor.

Family members following behind in three other vehicles watched in horror as the crash unfolded in front of them.

It all unfolded incredibly quickly, David says.

“The driver of the other car was doing between 117 to 123kph on impact. The scariest thing for me, what stunned me, was that the gap closed in a second.

“We are lucky to be alive.”

David managed to brake before impact, bringing his speed down from about 85kph to around 65kph.

The air bags deployed, smashing David’s glasses into the bridge of his nose. He also broke both feet which later required surgery.

Amy suffered three cracked ribs, a punctured lung, lacerations to her liver and spleen, fractures to her spine and a bruised pancreas.

While she is improving, she is not yet able to return to work and struggles to walk far.

“I remember the airbags going off and then an eerie silence,” Amy says.

“I tried to take a big breath in but couldn’t. The next thing I remember is laying on the side of the road.”

Flynn Hawtin, 16, pulled his grandfather from the car while Lettie, 19, dialled 111 and her boyfriend, Conner Te Wake-Walker, helped David move Amy from the wreck. A motorist caught up in the carnage also stopped to help.

David devoted his attentions to Amy and started CPR, believing his dad, who had been conscious and moving, was hurt but okay.

But Graeme died about 15 minutes after the crash from internal injuries.

“Mum had offered to drive a friend back from the lake who wasn’t feeling well other wise she would have been in the back of the car and probably died too,” David says.

David was taken to Wairau Hospital by ambulance, his daughter Grace going with him.

The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter flew Amy, accompanied by Flynn, to Wellington Hospital when it became clear her injuries were life threatening.

“It still makes me a bit upset and teary thinking about it,” Amy says.

“We didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to each other, I went off in one direction and David another. If one of us had died that would have been the last time we saw each other.”

Around six hours after the crash, the pair talked to each other on the phone.

Amy spent five days in Wellington Hospital before being transferred to Wairau Hospital. David was discharged after two nights but had to later return for surgery.

The support from the community during this time has been “humbling” Amy says.

“The love and support, even from people we don’t know has been amazing.

“It got us through the last three months, we feel just so blessed.”

The accident has changed them for the better in many ways, David says.

“You appreciate what you have and try to simplify life and reflect on what’s important.

“We work long hours but now I’ll spend an hour catching up with someone.

“It’s bought us all closer together and I’ll always be grateful for that.”