Carmen's Legacy

Carmen's Legacy tells the story of a family's journey of tragedy and hope. At Age forty-two, John Maher was involved in a fatal car crash in which he was severely injured and, the eighteen-year-old driver of the other vehicle was killed. Thankfully, John was not at fault. His injuries were so severe that doctors informed him he would never work again. Married with four daughters in either secondary school or university, this was a tremendous blow to this young family.

However, there was more tragedy to come for the Maher family. Just 30-months after John's horrific car crash, the youngest of their four beautiful daughters, 18-year-old Carmen, was killed in a car crash when she fell asleep at the wheel of her car and hit a tree.

In an even crueller twist, her eldest sister Michelle was the third car on the crash scene when on her way to work.

Carmen's Legacy has many lessons, and possibly the most powerful is how the love and support of family can overcome even the most devastating and tragic event.

Two years after Carmen's death when four 18-year-old students were killed in a car crash in Bendigo, John decided to educate young drivers about the dangers on our roads. He developed Carmen's Road Safety presentation and presented it at secondary schools. Telling Carmen's story to years 10, 11, and 12 students hoping they would never do to their family what Carmen has done to his.

Carmen's Legacy will take you on a journey of triumph over tragedy. It will also empower you to be a safer road user and help you understand who you are.

The Maher family didn't know that on November 18, 1995, they would lose their beautiful Carmen forever and they would never be able to cuddle her again.

We would love to give Carmen just one more cuddle.