1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: We as I mentioned just a few moments ago. After Impact, 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: a one hour documentary is set to air tonight. It 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: looks at seven people who've each survived a serious road 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: crash and now live with lifelong injuries. They are among 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: more than forty thousand people who are seriously injured on 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: Australian roads every year. Four of them are from Darwin, 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: and one of them, John Kerry, joins me on the 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: line right now. Good morning to you. 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 2: John, Good morning Katie. How are you. 10 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: Really good mate? Thank you so much for your time 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: this morning. I think it's such an incredibly important discussion 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: to have because we very often speak about fatalities on 13 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: Northern Territory roads, as we rightly should, and we know 14 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: that even over the weekend there was another terrible crash. 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: But so often people are injured on our roads, and 16 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: even more often we really don't hear about those crashes. John, 17 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: tell me about the crash that you were involved in. 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: It was in twenty fifteen. I was riding a motorcycle 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: and at the time I was wearing an open face 20 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 2: helmet and heading north on the Stuart Highway, coming through 21 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 2: the traffic lightsat for Rapp and you know, looking at 22 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: the speed, conscious of my speed, and when I looked up, 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: everybody had stopped and I didn't have time to stop, 24 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: so I hit the car in front of me. At 25 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: the time, I was I was quite badly injured. Smashed 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: my face, My eye pockets were shattered, cheeks were broken, 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 2: my top drawer was not connected to the top lot. 28 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 2: It was all smashed up. And yeah, pretty badly hurt. 29 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: That sounds terrible. What did the doctor tell you. 30 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: At the time? He said, your bottom drawls good and 31 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: your throat's good, but the part in the middle, it 32 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: is like a box of corn flax. 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. What was it like for you receiving 34 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: those words. 35 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 2: At the time. I've not yet seen an X ray, 36 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: but I could feel, you know, obviously, my top jaw 37 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: was quite loose moving around, and you know, it was 38 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:45,119 Speaker 2: pretty confronting, like to you know, get a full realization 39 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: to what had happened. And that sort of thing. 40 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: Now made I understand that you had just recently or 41 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: had a relatively new relationship when this happened. I mean, 42 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: what were you worried about what your partner Sky would think? 43 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: Yes, certainly, I mean, you know, I was. I wasn't 44 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 2: an old painting to start with. But when you know 45 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 2: you've smeared your face across the back of a car, 46 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 2: it doesn't improve things. And you know I knew that, 47 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: I you know, aside from that, you know, I knew 48 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 2: that I had a long road of recovery ahead of 49 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: me and you know, a lot. Well, it was very involved, 50 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: and you know we'd only just met. I don't know, 51 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: I didn't know, you know, whether she was going to 52 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: stick around for that or you know, it was going 53 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 2: to test her as much as it did me. 54 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: You know, she has She certainly stuck around though, hasn't she. 55 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: She has here, Yes, so she she she put up 56 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 2: with my family coming and going, and my dad flew 57 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 2: up from New South Wales and that never met. So 58 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: they stayed at my house with Sky, and you know 59 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: that was I thought, if she can handle that, she'll 60 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: she'll be right. 61 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: She sounds like a wonderful woman. 62 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: Mate. 63 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: Tell me about the day of your operation, because you know, 64 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: I cannot even imagine the trauma that you went through 65 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: in the actual crash. But then I can't imagine, you know, 66 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: the apprehension and the fear that you probably felt ahead 67 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: of that operation. 68 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I'd never broken a bone before, 69 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 2: I'd never had surgery, and I was very nervous. I 70 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: just didn't know what to expect. And you know, in 71 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: the days leading up, even thinking about the fact that, 72 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: you know, they told me they're gonna cut me from 73 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 2: to ear over the top of my head and you know, 74 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 2: all over my face, you know, under my lip, under 75 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 2: my eyes, they really feel the whole thing off and 76 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 2: start again, you know, and thinking about that was was 77 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 2: pretty daunting, even you know, worse when I laid up 78 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 2: on the operating table and had to shave my head 79 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 2: because that's where they're going in and you know, at 80 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: that moment realizing wow, they're about to cut the head open, 81 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 2: you know, it's pretty for long. 82 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: Oh mate. I like hearing your story and hearing the 83 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: way that your life changed, you know, in one day. 84 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: It like it is, it is unbelievable. 85 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's you know, even myself, you know, you take 86 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: risks all the time, calculated risk, and you just you know, 87 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 2: you don't think about the fact that you know this 88 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 2: could alter the course of your life. 89 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: You know, tell me about after the operation, how did 90 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: it all go? And and you know, like the difficulties 91 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: that you that you faced after the operation. I know 92 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: you've got a little step dader as well. 93 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so you know that there were immediately after 94 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 2: the operation, there were complications. They'd pinched a piece of 95 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 2: muffle a muffle with my eye and my eye wouldn't move, 96 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 2: so right there, still in the operating theater, they put 97 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: me back under to fix it again. And then so 98 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 2: you know, my face was quite swollen. I had bandages 99 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: on my nose and this sort of thing, and my 100 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 2: appearance was massively different to the last time our daughter 101 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 2: saw me. And you know, she was only five at 102 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: the time, and so when she came back to our 103 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 2: place from Dad's for the first time, she scared her. 104 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 2: You know, I looked like a monster or something, you know, 105 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 2: and she wouldn't look at me. She wouldn't look at 106 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: me for months, you know, even after they took the 107 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 2: bandages off, I was still quite swollen, and you know, 108 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: I think things seem to be in a slightly different place, 109 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 2: you know, but yeah, it was it was difficult, mate. 110 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: That must have been so hard. 111 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, because not only was the relationship is 112 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: quite with Sky quite new, as was the relationship with Lushan, 113 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 2: and you know she's you know, I looked a good 114 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: relationship with her, and we were quite close. Yeah, it 115 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: was really hard for her to accept the fact that 116 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 2: she didn't want anything to do with me. 117 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: You know, Well, mate, I before I get into how 118 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: life is for you now, you know, these years later, 119 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: I do want to ask you. You know, as I said, 120 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: right from the get go, we talk a lot about 121 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: different different crashes on the roads. We talk a lot about, 122 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: you know, the terrible situations that we see on our roads. 123 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: But how look, how was life for you after that crash? 124 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: And and you know, to what extent did the physical 125 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: appearance but also the mental changes? To what extent did 126 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: it change your life? 127 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 2: So I went back to work quite quickly, and my 128 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 2: face was still quite swollen. You know, I looked like 129 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 2: I've been nine rounds with Mike Tyson with my hands 130 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: on my back, you know. But so meeting people, I 131 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 2: was embarrassed, you know, and I had to explain myself. 132 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: But you know, I felt I needed to explain myself that, 133 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 2: you know, I haven't been in a bar fight. I 134 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: had an accident. And then you know, as time went on, 135 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 2: you know, I started to appear more normal as a 136 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: swelling subsidy, but I still felt as if I needed 137 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 2: to explain to people why I look the way I do. 138 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 2: And you know, it's mentally it was really challenging. You know. 139 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 2: You get to a certain point where I've had enough, 140 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 2: you know, I just I just want to go back 141 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 2: to normal, you know. And I struggled with my mental health. 142 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 2: I and I didn't I didn't even acknowledge it for 143 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 2: a long time, you know. But I wasn't proud of 144 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 2: my behavior at times, you know. And it took my 145 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 2: lovely wife to continually hassle me for what turned out 146 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 2: to be years before I went and sought help. 147 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: You know, Thank good on you that you sought that help. 148 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: And and from what I'm told, your life at the 149 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 1: moment is a wonderful, wonderful one with your wife and 150 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: you've had you've had a few extra kids. 151 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got a whole netball teams. So yeah, we 152 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 2: you know, I think I think things are on the 153 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 2: app We've we've got three other kids and you know, 154 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: they're they're great. They they keep me grounded, and you know, 155 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 2: we we bought a house last year, and you know, 156 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 2: kicking goals at work and that's the thing. So it's yeah, yeah, 157 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 2: it's been great. You know, I get emotional thinking about 158 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 2: how far we've come, you know, and you know, just 159 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 2: I know it sounds silly, but little things, you know, 160 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: like we before we bought house, we just go and 161 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 2: I celebrated, you know, going to Harvey Norman and buying 162 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: matching furniture. You know. But yeah, all these little things, 163 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 2: you know, being able to celebrate these achievements and milestones, 164 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: and it means a lot to me that I'm able 165 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 2: to do that. 166 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 1: The little things are are the best parts of life, 167 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: aren't they? And you are an incredible man, I tell 168 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: you what you've been through. And I am also reliably 169 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: told that you were recently named the Anti Underwriter of 170 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: the Year. You are in the insurance industry. 171 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, I've been in this role 172 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 2: now for a bit over two years, and you know, 173 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 2: the night of the awards, I felt like a celebrity. 174 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 2: You know, I was so grateful to be nominated for 175 00:11:54,440 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 2: the award and to take it out. It was absolutely outstanding, 176 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 2: you know, great achievement for myself, and you know, great 177 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 2: to know that the effort that I'm putting in professionally 178 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 2: is recognized and that sort of thing, and it's good 179 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 2: for our business in the momentary. 180 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: Good on you, mate, I mean good on you. Look 181 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: from what you have told us this morning, it has 182 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: not been an easy road by any stretch of the imagination. 183 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: And I think it's so incredibly brave of you to 184 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: speak to us this morning, but also to be part 185 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: of the documentary which is airing tonight after Impact, because 186 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: people do need to know what goes on on the roads. 187 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: They do need to know how difficult it can be 188 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: for people like yourself as well in the aftermath. And 189 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: like I said, I think it's so incredibly brave of 190 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: you to speak out and to really hopefully educate other territories. 191 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. Thanks, and I want to say thank you and 192 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 2: congratulations or you know to the other six people who 193 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 2: contributed for having their strength to have their say and 194 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 2: tell their story. And I hope it makes people think, 195 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 2: especially in the lead up to Christmas. You know, if 196 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: you take safety to the extreme, you think, if you 197 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 2: work on the mind site, you do a take five 198 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 2: before you operate a machine or you know, perform a task, 199 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 2: will you know I urge people to do a similar 200 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 2: thing before they get in the car at Christmas time. 201 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 2: You know, just be patient. Think of people leave fifteen 202 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 2: minutes earlier so you can take your time, and just 203 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 2: you be courteous to everybody on the road. 204 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: John Kerry, I really appreciate you speaking with me this morning, 205 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: and Mate, like you said, well done to you and 206 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: the others who have all had the courage to speak out. 207 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: And that documentary is airing tonight on Channel nine Darwin 208 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: at seven thirty. John, thank you, thank you so much 209 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: for your time today. 210 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 2: Thanks for having me. 211 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: Gertie, thank you, thanks mate, and thanks so much for 212 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,719 Speaker 1: talking to us and for being part of that doc Oh. 213 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: I can't wait to watch it. I think it's going 214 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,079 Speaker 1: to be really really important viewing. 215 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 2: Thanks again, Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. 216 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: Thank you.