Nor'West News: October 24, 2017

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4 Tuesday October 24 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi News Watch the video at www.star.kiwi Victim of drink driving shares his George Cairney’s life was completely changed in 2008 when he sat in the back of a car with a driver who had been drinking. The vehicle crashed into a brick wall at 135km/h. Mr Cairney, 24, told his sobering story to students from Christchurch Boys’ High School and the wider community on Wednesday. Here’s what he told the students NOR’WEST NEWS THANK YOU very much for having me here this evening, I think I have a lot of important information that can either help, if not save, your lives. And you may ask me what I mean? I may seem like a normal guy, just a regular Joe Blogg, but I’m sure by the end of my speech, by the end of my story, you’ll think very differently. At the time of my accident, I was back at King’s College. I was in seventh form in Auckland. I was loving school, absolutely loving it. I was in the school’s basketball team. School sports was a passion for me and I was loving school. I got As in English, which was fantastic. All of these things, all of these passions I loved, all of these things can be changed by George Cairney one decision, one bad decision. I would like to tell you about that now. I was at a party, it was about a month before my final exams. October 1, 2008. I was with a bunch of friends, I was at an 18 th party, and it was just a regular night. But I was drunk, this was my first mistake because getting drunk hinders your ability to make good decisions. It makes it really hard to say ‘hey, I don’t want to do that’. I asked my friend for a ride home because I was drunk and I couldn’t drive. He said he was sober, he said he hadn’t had anything to drink – how was I supposed to know that? Unless you plan it before or you keep an eye on it the whole night. He told me he was sober, this was not true. He’d had more than twice the legal limit to drive. We hopped in the car. This was my next mistake, one of many – I didn’t put on my seat belt. It’s so simple, it takes three seconds and it saves lives. I may have been in the back left side of the car but people still die. Then he started driving very fast. Extremely fast and very badly. LAwyERS We have over 40 years’ experience to assist you with… • Buying and Selling Houses and Commercial Property • Wills, Trusts and Estate matters • All issues facing you and your business; • Employment Law matters; • Traffic matters; • Advice regarding Retirement Villages • General Legal Advice on all matters Call John, Brendan or Andrew today 03 366 8996 Email. lawyers@mclegal.co.nz Airport Business Park 92 Russley Road, Christchurch 8042 ‘CEREC’ & cosmetic dentistry Wisdom tooth removal Painless, high quality dentistry Sedation dentistry Experienced, conscientious team Experienced hygienists OPEN SATURDAYS 355 9380 144 Cranford Street www.stalbansdentalcentre.co.nz SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD
NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Tuesday October 24 2017 5 Local News Now Fire rages, homes at risk sobering story with students I should’ve said: ‘Stop. Please pull over, I’m not comfortable, will you please let me out.’ It’s simple. That was the moment that changed my life forever. He was rounding a corner too fast on Remuera Rd in a 50km/h zone, going twice the speed limit-plus. He hit a power pole exactly where I was seated. We went through a garage door and halfway through a brick wall. I was in a coma for a month. When I woke up, I didn’t know I was there, I didn’t know what had happened because I don’t remember this night. I don’t remember a year and a half before this night or a year and a half after this night. Three years of my life is gone and I feel like I’m telling stories about another person. But these were my mistakes. It has affected my life hugely. I have diabetes, epilepsy, splenectomy – it took my spleen. These are the scars from one, two, three, four, five bad mistakes in one evening. I even had to have part of my skull replaced with titanium plating. My left leg was partially replaced with a titanium rod and behind this metal front is the part of my brain that was most damaged. Sure, I damaged the left and right lobe but the frontal lobe is what makes it hard to behave correctly, behave socially correctly and manage my own life. I can’t plan. I work with six carers part time, 24/7. Every single day of my life is planned by someone else. That was not my plan when I was back at high school, this was not my plan when I was 17 years of age. But I made those mistakes. Partial loss of sight, partial loss of hearing, partial loss of smell. My left eye I can only see when I look in one direction. My right eye, I can’t see my hand when it’s right there. My left ear is deaf, which is a big bummer. I only have eight per cent taste left, which is a real bummer – I was a big food person. Not so much anymore. All of these things, all of these injuries, all of this crap in my life could’ve been prevented by just thinking before I did those things. Before I finish this speech, I just have a few questions for you. How would you think, how would you feel if you were in my position? How would you feel having all of this happen to you and you were in the middle of it? What would you do to stop it again? And how would you live? Because every day I get up, I feel like I have less motivation. Every day I get up, it’s hard. There are three things you have to remember. Don’t drink and drive. Come on, it’s not that hard, is it? Second thing, (when you) hop into a car, put your seat belt on. It’s three seconds of your life. Put your seat belt on, even if you’re in the back seat. They save lives. Millions of lives. And next, if your friend is driving dangerously, if he’s driving fast, if he’s driving drunk – tell him to pull over, tell him to stop the car. You shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask because they should be the ones embarrassed for putting your life in danger. Thank you. Helping us, Helps tHe community Drop off or buy 3 family stores in your community 4 Restell Street, Papanui Ph 03 352 0515 50 Charles St, Kaiapoi Ph 03 903 0017 fiREwORKS ExtRAvAgAnzA SAt 28 th OctOBER 7pm StARt ADULTS $20 Seniors $10 FAMILY PASS $40 Children $5 Under 5yrs free (2 adults & up to 4 children 14yrs & under) “When experieNce counts” Residential & Business Brokers 25+ years experience personal service local agent - lives in papanui & is the president of a local sports club $1000 donation to your sports club/ team/charity etc (special conditions apply) Free appraisals/No obligatioN Flexible commission rates. JoHN beNtleY areinz ph. 352-2457/021 386 001 jbentley@actrix.co.nz bentley realty MreiNZ Licensed agent REAA 2008 Painters & Decorators DOUBLEDAYS ROAD KAiApOi infOLinE 03 364 8833 www.wOODfORDgLEn.cO.nz Retirement Villages Take a tour of Parklands. Parklands on Papanui Retirement Village, currently has three lovely two bedroom apartments available, priced from $380,000. Call Lynda, she would love to show you around. Parklands on Papanui Retirement Village, 429 Papanui Road, Papanui Call Lynda on (03) 373 8571 bupa.co.nz
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Nor'West News: October 24, 2017

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