< back to Louise's blogMy beautiful Mandy Moo

When my daughter Amanda died my life fell apart and I am still having to learn and accept that it will never be the same again. The flow on affect to her brother, sister, niece, nephew and the many, many friends, work mates and others who loved her is still continuing.

When the results of her autopsy were provided to me I learned she died with a blood alcohol reading of 0.25 which is five times over the legal limit. YES, the onus was on her to NOT drink and drive. However, like so many situations in life it was not that simple.

The last person to see her alive met her at their gate and insisted she go away. This she did and within minutes she was dead.

I do not blame this person for her death but feel so incredibly sad that they did not take action that may have prevented her death.

The medical examiner explained to me that with such a high level of alcohol in her system she did not have the capacity to make reasonable decisions regarding her ability to drive. She would also have been very obviously intoxicated.

If that person had taken one of the following actions Amanda may still be alive today.

1. Take her keys - she weighed 46 kilos

2. Call myself or her brother to pick her up

3. Call a taxi

4. Call the police

5. Let her come inside until she had become sober

I am so very grateful that no one else was killed as a result of her accident as I don't believe I could live with that death.

While no laws were broken I strongly believe we all have a moral obligation to look after others and especially someone we purported to love at one time.

Written on 28 Jan 2010
Over 2 years since incident
Tags: Drink driving

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Comments

Louise Cashell | 14 Feb 2010

I am very sad that some people feel that my darling Amanda deserved to die because she was intoxicated and driving. I have not and never would deny the fact that she was intoxicated at the time of her accident. However I certainly do not believe in any way, shape or form that because of this she deserved to die.
I have received several emails via facebook from friends and relatives of her estranged husband stating that they believe she deserved to die because she was intoxicated. I am at a complete loss that people can be so judgemental. I would remind them of the old saying ""there but by the grace of God go I"".

Angela | 03 Mar 2010

Louise..

I wish I could write the words to express what I want to say..other then..
I can’t understand why people are so cruel and judgemental either..
Unfortunately we do take their words on board and it hurts..and we want to fight back to defend our children..but I have found that the type of people who say these things will never see it our way..they won’t listen nor understand..

I am on your side..no one deserves to die..apart from cold blooded murderers..in my eyes..
hang in there Louise..my thoughts are with you…xx

Julie McIntyre | 20 Oct 2010

Hey Louise your baby girl did not deserve to die and you dont deserve the life sentence. Those who judge have no idea, I call them young souls. Just recently at a fundraiser a dickwit told me to harden up. I believe in Karma and trust me he got his Karma the very next day, just a few quiet words of wisdom, didnt need to make a scene.
In reality these people are just damn offensive. They really cant hurt us, you see we have suffered the ultimate of hurt, nothing can cut deeper than the loss of our child. In that sense we are much stronger than we know.
Your Mandy Moo is probably hoping that her friends will learn from her mistake and that is what it was, a mistake. And I bet they have learned, so there you go, she didnt die in vain..She has saved others you just have to BELIEVE xx I am with you Angela, no-one deserves to die, except those cold blooded murderers..

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