The man who tragically died in a crash north of Batemans Bay last Thursday (November 28), has been identified as a local police officer.
The South Coast community is mourning the loss of Senior Constable Carl Wilkinson, 37, who died in a crash just a week after he and his family moved to Batemans Bay.
The off-duty police officer’s ute collided with a truck on the Princes Highway at 1:30pm on Thursday, about 1km north of the East Lynne Service Station between Batemans Bay and Termeil.
Emergency services rushed to scene with the highway closed in both directions for several hours while police investigated.
While the 57-year-old male driver of the truck was uninjured and taken to Batemans Bay Hospital for mandatory testing, Mr Wilkinson died at the scene.
He is survived by his partner Madeleine Cox and their three young children. A heartbroken Ms Cox has posted to social media about her loss.
“I lost my partner, the love of my life I was lucky enough to meet, and the father of our three beautiful baby boys,” she wrote.
Ms Cox described her partner as “my love, my mate, my angel, our superhero.”
He was in fact a real life superhero. Mr Wilkinson received a bravery medal in Sydney for saving a man’s life.
Ms Cox sought help to down Mr Wilkinson’s guitar, which he had recently donated to a local church without her knowledge.
“I am reaching out to see if anyone in the community knows who may have bought his guitar so that I could purchase it back off them?” She posted to a local Facebook noticeboard.
“I am no good at playing but he loved when I played only for him (I still have my guitar), he thought my voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard – I would strongly disagree.
“But please I would love to find this so I can play to him once more Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. I will pay anything for it.”
A reply to the post said the guitar had since been found and returned.
A page on crowdfunding platform Mycause has been set up to support the family, with $26,000 raised so far.
“With much devastation to Maddie and three gorgeous boys, losing Carl unexpectedly – a beautiful partner and father,” wrote page creator Jo Thompson.
“Please help support and donate to this beautiful family that needs this the most at this devastating time.”
Investigations into the car crash are ongoing.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Images: Supplied Madeleine Cox
