Couple's long road to recovery from trauma of serious crash

Andy and Callie Rigby are celebrating Andy's birthday with a road trip, a journey they had avoided for over four years following a traumatic head-on collision. The Cairns couple had steered clear of several major roads since a tourist bus swerved into their lane on a highway bypass in June 2022, crashing into their ute.

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Next minute, bang, I actually thought I was going to die.

Callie Rigby, who had previously lost her parents in a car crash as an infant, recalled the terrifying moment she looked up from her phone to see the bus approaching. "Next minute, bang, I actually thought I was going to die," she recounted. The bus driver also sustained a severe leg injury. Forensic police informed the Rigbys of their extreme luck in surviving the crash.

While the couple spent a week in the hospital with minor injuries, the psychological impact lingered much longer. Andy Rigby described experiencing recurring visions of the bus driver's face for several months. "I'm still defensively driving, going to the left of the lane as far as possible. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens; instinct, I suppose," he said. The "severe accident" profoundly altered his life, preventing them from visiting their beloved Atherton Tablelands, a place they previously frequented for their wildlife and landscape photography.

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You were so lucky to survive that crash.

However, this past weekend marked a turning point. For Andy's birthday, they returned to the Atherton Tablelands, signifying a major step in overcoming their fear. "You come to a stage where you think life is short," Mr. Rigby reflected.

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I used to get the driver of the bus's face coming up in front of me. That went on for probably three or four months … but I'm still defensively driving, going to the left of the lane as far as possible. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens; instinct, I suppose.

Meanwhile, Queensland road safety statistics remain a concern. Data shows a 10 percent increase in road deaths this year compared to the same period last year, with 194 fatalities in 179 crashes as of August 9. Sergeant Scott Hayes of the Innisfail highway patrol described responding to fatal accidents as the "most dreaded" part of his job, recalling the devastating task of informing families of loved ones lost due to poor decisions on the road. The North Coast region has recorded the highest number of road deaths in Queensland this year.

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You come to a stage where you think life is short.