It was a ‘split second misjudgement’ that saw 20-year-old Bradley Matthews flung from his motorbike after colliding with a car in October.
Today, the Donnybrook resident marks 61 days in recovery.
Mr Matthews shared from his Royal Melbourne Hospital bed the moment he still sees in nightmares – a reminder to remain diligent on the road.
A Friday evening ride on his motorbike took a turn for the worse at the intersection of Civic Drive and McDonalds Road in South Morang, near the South Morang train station.
Mr Matthews had stopped at the red light next to another motorcyclist.
He assumed the motorcyclist was in a straight lane and did not realise they intended to turn right.
When the motorcyclist took off at their green arrow, Mr Matthews mistakenly assumed that he also had the right of way to travel straight, pulling out as a car was travelling through the intersection.
“I’ve gone and gotten T-boned by a car,” he said.
Mr Matthews collided with the car at about 70 kilometres per hour, breaking his arm, dislocating his shoulder, smashing his pelvis, and suffering severe lower-abdominal injuries.
After a witness called his sister, Mr Matthews’ family and girlfriend tracked his phone via Find My iPhone, realising the incident was severe when they bypassed the Northern Hospital in Epping and instead arrived at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“We had the surgeon come in to tell us that they were about to take him in for what would probably be a four-hour procedure,” Bradley’s mother Christina Matthews said.
“We weren’t sure at that point whether he’d come out.”
In a ‘pretty confronting’ first week, Mr Matthews underwent multiple surgeries, including the fitting of an external fixation to his pelvis.
Difficulty moving his legs means Mr Matthews must learn to walk again.
While his injuries are likely to require a 12-month recovery, the trauma of the accident remains.
“[I’ve had] a lot of nightmares of just waking up to a car coming towards me,” Mr Matthews said.
“Getting transported from here to Epworth, which is the rehab facility, even that was a bit scary to even just get on the road even though I’m in the back of the car and can’t even see out.”
While still on a long road to recovery, Mr Matthews was lucky to escape death.
“For me, the hardest thing is not being able to do anything for him – literally nothing other than sometimes just putting my hands on him and praying,” Mrs Matthews said.
The road toll reached a 15-year high this year, according to Victoria Police data, with 280 people having lost their lives on Victoria’s roads.
Of the fatalities, 46 were motorcyclists.
With split-second decisions such as Mr Matthews’ proving life-changing, Seymour Highway Patrol Sergeant Graeme Callaghan urged motorists to remain attentive.
“The advice I give to anyone is pay attention – you’re in control of a motor vehicle,” he said.
“The hardest thing a police person can do in relation to attending accidents, in particular ones that have taken someone’s life, is going to the next-of-kin and telling them that their loved ones have passed away.”
As of day 57 on Friday, Mr Matthews was back in the intensive care unit to address further complications.
“I’m lucky to have mum, family and my girlfriend who always come in and are always by my side. It would be a lot harder to do this by yourself,” Mr Matthews said.
After recovery, he hopes to finish his final three weeks of training to become a qualified electrician.
He said his workplace, O’Brien Electrical Thomastown, had been ‘really helpful’ while undergoing rehabilitation.
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