Yalgoo crash: Families in mourning over horror rollover that claimed three lives

The families of two Mid-West women and a baby boy are devastated after losing all three of them in a car crash at the weekend. Gabrielle Brockman, 21, her aunty Marrika Brockman, 33, and Marrika’s son Levi — born just five weeks ago — were all killed on Saturday when the ute they were in rolled on Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road in Yalgoo, 235km east of Geraldton, about 11pm. Marrika was carrying her baby on her lap in the back seat, alongside her partner Dwayne Ashwin, 43, Gabrielle, and Gabrielle’s partner Jeffery Indich, 22. It’s understood a friend was behind the wheel and driving everyone back to Geraldton from a family funeral in Meekatharra when their Toyota HiLux rolled over. Gabrielle and baby Levi both died at the scene, while Marrika and all three men were flown to Perth via Royal Flying Doctor Service. Mother-of-three Marrika succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Phyllis and Cynthia Little, mothers to Gabrielle and Marrika, respectively, have given The Geraldton Guardian permission to release the names and images of their children and grandchild in a bid to raise awareness of what they believe may have caused the crash — fatigue. Cynthia said she was still in shock after losing her daughter Marrika and two grandchildren. Baby Levi was born prematurely just weeks earlier on July 4, and always wanted to be in his mother’s arms, she said. “(Marrika) was very proud of that baby, she did everything she could,” Cynthia said. She said Marrika’s eldest son Michael, 15, also loved Levi from the moment he was born. “It was always tug of war with his mother for the baby because sometimes she’ll sing out, “Michael, give my baby back” and he’ll run away with him, you know, hide in another room or something.” The devastated mother said Marrika had been a champion runner during her school years in Mount Magnet, and that she was always attending her son’s football matches to cheer him on. For Gabrielle’s mother Phyllis, she knows the heartache of losing a child all too well. Her son died of the flu in 2018, and now she is struggling to cope with the loss of her eldest daughter, too. “I’m not holding up well at all. I lost my son in 2018 and now my daughter, it’s hard,” she said. “Lack of sleep, I haven’t eaten. The feeling when your kid gets taken off you just like that — I can’t even describe it.” She described Gabrielle as a happy kid, who was always smiling, playing and laughing. The 21-year-old was working as a cleaner at the Freemasons and Murchison hotels with her grandmother, Cynthia, who said she could hardly see over the bar because she was so small. Marrika and Gabrielle were remembered as relatives who loved each other, constantly travelled together and hardly separated. “Nine times out of 10 they would travel together and their partners couldn’t split them apart,” Cynthia said. Jeffery remains in a critical condition, while Dwayne and the man believed to have been driving have been discharged from hospital. Phyllis has since visited the crash scene, drawing her own conclusions on the circumstances surrounding the crash. “From what I (have) seen at the crash site it looked like they ... lost control. It wasn’t a pretty sight. I don’t think I’d ever go back there again,” she said. Marrika’s father, Kevin Brockman, believed fatigue played a part in his daughter’s death. Cynthia agreed and encouraged road users to pull over and take a break when travelling long distances. “Have a nap on the side of the road, don’t be scared. Just pull up and have a sleep, no matter where you are, how far you are out of town,” she said.