Arabic version: أم تطالب بإجابات بعد وفاة دارسي وود في حادث تصادم
According to ABC News, Darcy Edward Waud, 20, died after the four-wheel drive in which he was a passenger struck cattle and rolled on Old Bangor Tram Road near Mount Direction in northern Tasmania. The crash occurred at 2:03am on Sunday, April 6, 2025, after Waud and a friend had attended a regional football match at Lilydale and continued drinking at the football clubhouse and a nearby pub.
Waud was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle, suffering catastrophic injuries. The driver, who had non-life-threatening injuries, used a smartwatch to contact emergency services. He recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.163, more than three times the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to summary charges including drink driving, driving without due care and failing to ensure a passenger wore a seatbelt, and was fined $2,000 and disqualified from driving for one year.
The Department of Public Prosecutions found the driver’s intoxication did not contribute to the collision. In a letter to Waud’s mother, Natasha Waud, Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates said evidence indicated the driver would not have had enough perception time to avoid the cows even if he had not been drinking. Police also said thresholds of proof were required to pursue charges relating to factors including livestock on the road. The coroner’s office said an investigation was underway.
Ms Waud said she did not blame one person alone and recognised her son had made poor choices that night, but said she expected accountability for the circumstances leading to his death. She has also questioned the sale of alcohol to the pair and wrote to the Lilydale Football Club and Northern Tasmanian Football Association in January. The NTFA expressed sympathy to Waud’s family and said safety and wellbeing remained a priority, but did not answer ABC questions about responsible alcohol service or its response to Ms Waud’s email.
Remembering her son as fun-loving, cheeky and kind-hearted, Ms Waud said the loss had changed family occasions and remained a daily battle for his father, sisters and herself. She said moments during the night, including a decision not to drive, intervention at a bar, or fence inspections, could have changed the outcome.
