Selfless last act after boy killed in e-scooter tragedy
A young boy has died following a tragic e-scooter accident that saw him collide with a Ford Ranger in Perth on Saturday night.
Now Calym Gilbert's "heartbroken" parents hope his legacy lives on and have revealed their son's final act hoping it will help save the lives of many.
The 13-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries and was placed on life-support following the late night incident in Butler.
But his parents made the gut-wrenching decision to turn off the machines causing him to sadly pass away a short time after.
His parents decided to donate their son's organs, allowing the teen to "leave behind a legacy", 7 News reports. Doing so will allow at least six others to live.
A father's wish for others
Calym and his friend were riding the e-scooters when they collided with a Ford Ranger at the intersection of Selacosa Avenue and Marmion Avenue.
Upon impact, both boys were "ejected" from the e-scooter leaving them both seriously injured.
Calym's friend was seriously injured and is in a stable condition in hospital, 7News reported. The driver of the Ford Ranger was unharmed.
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Since the incident, the boy's crushed father has shared one simple message for others.
"Wear a helmet," he told 7News.
"He is our baby boy, the love of my life, ripped from us so suddenly and way too soon," his heartbroken mum added.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by relatives to help ease any financial "worry" for the family in the wake of Calym's death.
"Calym had a gentle soul and would do anything to help all of those around him. Calym was full of life and love - his internal light filled any room and left a lasting impression on all those that knew him," the page says.
A rise in e-scooter accidents across the country
The fatal accident occurred just hours after another Perth incident involving an e-scooter and car collision, WA Police Force revealed.
Just weeks before, a Melbourne man on his e-scooter collided with a Volkswagen station wagon. Luckily he survived.
Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said while e-scooters are "great as an alternate transport option, they must be used safely and sensibly."
In both Victoria and Western Australia, the maximum speed is just 10km/h, yet in Queensland, scooter riders are allowed to travel at speeds of up to 25km/h.
In NSW e-scooters are completely banned and can only be used on private property.
South Australia and Tasmania allow speeds of up to 15km/h, but with local rules changing often riders must be aware.
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