Memories of horror crash haunt families

Two women say they have been left traumatised and afraid of driving after they were involved in a road rage attack on one of Bunbury’s busiest road last year.

Wendy Nani and Sharon Houghton had their cars written-off as they were hit during a chain of events sparked by an enraged driver.

Both had passengers in their cars, including Mrs Houghton’s five-year-old son Tristan, but all avoided serious injury despite the cars careering out of control across up to five lanes of traffic.

The man responsible, Corie Barker, was jailed for 17 months last week by Magistrate Elizabeth Hamilton.

Mrs Nani was driving home to Eaton on December 3 when she stopped at the Hennessy Road intersection. Barker was in the car behind her and became frustrated because he believed she was taking too long to drive through the intersection. After he beeped his horn at her, Mrs Nani’s adult son Steven put his finger out of the passenger’s window and swore at Barker.

She said Barker followed her car, through the Eelup roundabout and onto Australind Bypass, so closely that she could not see his bonnet but only the “whites of his eyes”.

“It was scary because I have never had that happen to me before, ” she said. “I did tell my son that it was frightening the way he was following me.”

Barker pulled alongside her car near the Vittoria Road intersection and collided with her as he threw a pair of pliers at her car.

In the seconds as her car was sent spiralling out of control, Mrs Nani’s thoughts went to her daughter who died five years ago.

“I prayed to my daughter Amanda not to take us, ” Mrs Nani said.

She said she was afraid she was going to die from a broken neck.

Mrs Nani was sent airborne over a median strip and was clipped by another car before coming to rest in a ditch.

After colliding with Mrs Nani’s car, Barker over-corrected and hit Mrs Houghton’s Mitsubishi Lancer – she was driving to the shops with her son Tristan.

Her car was also sent out of control and across three lanes of traffic before hitting a light pole. Both escaped serious injury.

“I put my arm out towards my five-year-old son who was sitting in the back of the car as I was skidding, ” she said.

During the court hearing, Barker’s lawyer Daniel Iacopetta said his client was remorseful over the offences.

Mrs Nani says Barker deserved to be jailed.

“To give him a fine and slap him on the wrist isn’t teaching him anything, ” she said.