Grief at the loss of Stanwell Park resident Brett Harris has stretched beyond family and friends –the entire community has been stricken by the loss of this “beautiful man”.
Flowers, children’s drawing and even a few bottles of Carlton Draught were among the tributes left outside his home.
“Thank you for always being kind and friendly, from Cale and the rest of Stannie”; “We will miss you” and “thanks Brett for the surf board, from Rudy and Walt” were some of the messages.
Brett died as a result of injuries sustained after a ute struck a utility pole on Lawrence Hargrave Drive, near the intersection with Railway Crescent, then crashed into the yard of the home in which Brett and his elderly mother lived.
The accident occurred about 8.30am on Wednesday, November 18, as many families were heading to school.
In the moments following the crash, passers-by immediately escorted any nearby children away from the fallen power pole, not yet realising that Brett was in his front yard and had been injured.
People nearby, including Stanwell Park local Luke Shanahan, then rushed to the crash site.
“The pole had come down and as we got closer we saw the ute, and then we saw that Brett was there and he’d been injured,” Luke told 2508.
Emergency services and paramedics stabilised Brett at the scene. He was flown by helicopter to St Georges Hospital but died that day. Earlier that morning, Luke had walked back from the beach with Brett.
“He was one of those people who would always say hello to everyone, say hello to the kids, and he’d stop for a chat.
“Everyone has been talking with each other since it happened and we’ve all cried, and we’re now just trying to come to terms with it all.
“It’s not even a week later [November 23] so it’s still raw for everyone.” Luke told a news crew on the day of the accident that Brett “was a beautiful, caring soul”.
He told 2508 that locals were not surprised when car accidents occurred on Lawrence Hargrave Drive because speeding was so prevalent on that stretch of road, but that he’d never expected such a serious accident could occur on the short low-speed section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that runs parallel to the main road.
“It was just one of those bizarre things. Any other time and this kind of accident might have ended up with just a bit of damage to a fence.” One of Brett’s good friends, Stanwell Park resident Ian Pepper, said that Brett had for a long time been an integral part of The Morning Crew, a small group of local surfers who regularly meet for a morning surf session at Stanny.
“When we’d get ready to go out in the morning, he’d always tell us where to surf,” Ian said.
“It is just not the same without him.” Everyone would “really miss” Brett, Ian said, including the close friends who had known him, and surfed with him, for so many years.
Since the accident, tributes and offers of help have poured in on social media, “The family are overwhelmed by the love and support that they have received,” a Harris family spokesman said.
At publication time, a private ceremony was planned, as well as a public service and a paddle-out to commemorate Brett’s life.
