An off-duty police officer has been killed in a car crash on the NSW South Coast, leaving his heartbroken family paying tribute to their ‘superhero’.
Carl Wilkinson, 37, was driving alone the Princes Highway, at East Lynne, about 1.30pm on Thursday when his ute collided with a truck.
Mr Wilkinson died at the scene while the 57-year-old male truck driver, who was not injured, was taken to Batemans Bay Hospital for mandatory testing.
Mr Wilkinson served the community as a Senior Constable for NSW Police.
He is survived by his partner Madeleine Cox and three children. A heartbroken Ms Cox has posted to social media about her loss.
‘I lost my partner, the love of my life I was lucky enough to meet, and the father of our three beautiful baby boys,’ she wrote.
The family had only just moved to Batemans Bay the week before the crash.
Ms Cox sought help to down Mr Wilkinson’s guitar, which he had recently donated to a local church without her knowledge.
A heartbroken Ms Cox has posted to social media about her loss
‘I am reaching out to see if anyone in the community knows who may have bought his guitar so that I could purchase it back off them?
‘I am no good at playing but he loved when I played only for him (I still have my guitar), he thought my voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard – I would strongly disagree.
‘But please I would love to find this so I can play to him once more Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. I will pay anything for it.’
A reply to the post said the guitar had since been found.
Ms Cox described her partner as ‘my love, my mate, my angel, our superhero’.
A page on crowdfunding platform mycause has been set up to support the family, with $21,400 raised so far.
‘With much devastation to Maddie and three gorgeous boys, losing Carl unexpectedly – a beautiful partner and father,’ wrote page creator Jo Thompson.
‘Please help support and donate to this beautiful family that needs this the most at this devastating time.’
Investigations into the car crash are ongoing. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.