A grieving mother says her son’s ill-fated choice to get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol and marijuana has left her feeling like she is the one ‘doing the time’ more than a decade on from the tragedy.
On December 8 2012, Jordan Hayes McGuinness decided to drive home to the Gold Coast after attending a Christmas party in Brisbane.
On the M1, the teen was speeding 30km/h over the limit when he smashed into the back of a vehicle that had broken down on the side of the highway, sending it careening up the guard rail where it exploded in flames.
Of the six people involved in the collision, only a 15-month-old baby survived.
Melissa McGuinness’ heart sank when the police knocked on her door the next morning to inform her about her son’s death.
‘My knees gave way and I thought I was about to be sick, I absolutely knew at that moment that I was going to be delivered the most heinous news,’ she told 7news.com.au.
She said it was hard to comprehend what the police were telling her.
Her 18-year-old son Jordan had been like most teens, was into sports and surfing but he also enjoyed a close relationship with his parents.
Jordan (pictured) was 18 when he made the decision to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He crashed into a parked car. He and four others died in the collision
Melissa McGuiness (right) will never get over the death of her son Jordan (second right) and the fact he killed four others and left a 15-month-old baby an orphan
The teen had recently moved out of home and the last time Ms McGuinness saw him she told him she loved him and to drive safely.
Jordan would always find his mum for a kiss before leaving the house and say ‘bye mum’.
Twelve years on, Ms McGuiness is still struggling to get over the tragedy that ripped apart so many families.
‘For as long as I’m upright, I will grieve my son. I will never, ever get over losing him, nor will I get over what he did to those young adults,’ she said.
Ms McGuiness doesn’t want sympathy, but has called on young drivers to consider the impact and flow-on affect their choices have on other road users.
She still thinks about ‘those families every single day’ and the ‘misery’ Jordan caused so many people all because of one bad choice he happened to make on that night.
Ms McGuinness claimed that although her son did the crime, she will forever do the time.
The 18-year-old crashed into a car that was on the side of a Gold Coast highway (pictured)
Jordan was a ‘typical’ teenager who was close to his family, including his little sister
The mother now hold talks about the impact Jordan’s decision has had on her life and this week travelled to Adelaide to speak at Street Smart High, a road safety awareness event for students that is being hosted by the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA).
She hopes the students at the events will understand that they don’t just have their lives in their hands when they are driving – but all road users – and realise that crashes like Jordan’s are preventable.
Ms McGuinness also founded not-for-profit organisation You Choose, which is aimed at Australian youth and encourages them to reflect and take accountability.
According to a recent survey commissioned by the RAA, 69 per cent of drivers had participated in or witnessed reckless behaviour when they were aged 16-21.
Some of the behaviour was drink-driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt or driving distracted.
Almost half (48 per cent) revealed that peer pressure had resulted in the reckless behaviour.
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