A tragic accident which left a young mother-of-two paralysed could possibly have been prevented if it was not for petty squabbling between government authorities.
Heidi Edwards was driving down Old Northern Road in Forest Glen, in Sydney's northwest, in May when a dead gum tree fell on top of her car and pulverised it.
"I can only remember driving and seeing a tree in the corner of my eye and thinking: 'What's that doing in my line of sight?'" she told Nine News.
The tree only just missed Mrs Edwards' two young children, who were sitting in the back seat.
Dead trees next to roadways are common in Sydney's northwest yet government authorities are apparently slow to act.
Tree removal is the job of either the Roads and Traffic Authority or the local council, depending on how far they are from the side of the road. Yet both authorities blamed each other when contacted by Nine News about the tree that fell on Mrs Edwards.
"I don't know how many serious accidents we have to see like Heidi until the government finally wakes up to itself and says enough is enough and removes these trees," said local Hawkesbury State Liberal MP Ray Williams.
Mrs Edwards has been told she will never walk again, a thought she says is "still difficult" to deal with on a daily basis.
*If you would like to help Heidi and her family, you can visit their website at www.heidiedwardsfamilyfund.com
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