Wallsend barber fights recovery after pushing grandchildren to safety
Wallsend barber Dave Martin, 67, pushed grandchildren to safety but was struck and critically injured.
The crash happened on October 3 during the Knights' grand final send-off. Ten people were hit in total.
Martin had eight hours of emergency surgery. He faces more operations this week.
Lucy-Mae Martin is Dave's daughter. She set up a GoFundMe page to help the family during recovery.
Martin was supposed to walk Lucy-Mae down the aisle at her wedding next week. The family hopes he can still attend.
A five-year-old girl also suffered critical injuries in the incident. Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, was the P-plate driver.
She was charged over the crash. Martin has been a Wallsend barber for nearly 50 years.
He is known deeply in the community.
- 67
- Barber's age
- October 3
- Crash date
- 10
- People hit in crash
- 8 hours
- Emergency surgery duration
Why it mattersIn a split-second, Martin chose to protect others. This choice came at a terrible cost. His recovery shows human bravery. It also shows the toll of tragedy on families.
AustraliaNewcastle and Wallsend residents are rallying around a man who sacrificed himself to protect his grandchildren during a community celebration.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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