A grieving mother of 11 has revealed the last message she sent to her fiancé moments before he died in a motorbike accident.
Concerns over road safety impact of cost of living crisis
Hayden Selby, 31, was killed when a car driven by his friend collided with his motorbike on the M1 near New Mount Pleasant Road, Mount Owsley, south of Sydney on July 19.
Mr Selby’s girlfriend was driving behind him towing a trailer as he guided her to the family’s new home when she collided with his motorbike.
Hayden Selby, 31, was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 19. Photo: Supplied.
Mr Selby died before emergency services arrived at the scene, and Kirsten Anthony, 24, has been charged with careless driving causing death.
Mr Selby’s fiancée, Katie Powell, has shared the devastating final message she sent to Mr Selby in the moments before his death.
“Hayden was helping a friend on the coast move on Friday and I texted him in the afternoon and said, ‘I love you, drive safe and take care of each other,’” she told 7News.
Ms. Powell became increasingly concerned when she did not hear from her fiancé after hours, saying the silence was “out of character.”
The grieving mother and grandmother of two said she received a phone call at around 6pm from a friend of Mr Selby’s who broke the devastating news.
Ms Powell said everything had been “a big blur” since her fiancé’s death.
“I take my kids to school every day and then I don’t know what to do,” she said.
“We have an eight-month-old baby who will never be able to recognize her father… It’s not fair.”
Ms Powell described her children’s father as a “lovely man” as she deals with life as a “newly single mother”.
Mr. Selby was the proud father of 11 children. Photo: Supplied.
“This beautiful man was always the first to jump in when anyone needed help,” she said. “He fought and struggled and fought to give my children (and) me what we created together.”
“I don’t know how to do this, I’m a newly single mom with 11 kids and 2 grandkids and the man who took good care of all the (important) things in our lives is gone.”
Mrs. Powell has established Gofundme A page to help cover funeral costs and future living expenses.
“Any money I have left over each week after paying our bills goes entirely to food for our children,” she said.
“I just want to give him what he deserves, please help me pamper the love of my life and father of my children one last time.”
As of Saturday morning, the campaign had raised nearly $4,000 after 62 donations.
Ms Anthony has been released on bail and is due back in court later this month as investigations into the incident continue.
