Pain still raw for family of Breadalbane crash victim Lucas Butzin

Lucas Butzin was on his way to work in 2006 when an oncoming driver crossed onto the wrong side of the road at Breadalbane and crashed into him – killing the 23-year-old instantly.

The driver survived and was jailed for manslaughter.

“I was at home, my friend Skye came knocking on my door about 5.30am and asked if I had heard from Lucas as he was meant to have picked his boss up but had not shown up,” Mrs Delanty recalled.

“About 30 mins later, two police women knocked and that’s when it hit me.

“I was seven days off my due date. I started having labor pains the day of Lucas’s funeral, I couldn’t eat and was constantly sick.”

Five days after the tragedy, Charlize Delanty-Butzin was born.

While she has since married and had another child, Mrs Delanty said she would never forget the day Lucas was killed.

Their daughter, Charli, turned 11 this year and is a constant reminder of him, she said.

“She is him to look at, her silly sense of humour and especially her facial expressions … sometimes I just stare at her because all I see is him,” Mrs Delanty said.

“I have been open with her from the beginning, I didn’t feel it was something I wanted to hide from her as she would have found out anyway. 

“It sounds silly but the hardest part for me was telling her brother Maxx why Charli has two dads.”

Although 11 years has passed, she said the pain was still raw every anniversary.

“I am still in contact with Lucas’s family, all of them are my family and they have taken on myself, (my husband) Gary and (son) Maxx as their own blood, I love them all very much,” she said.

“Luc’s anniversary is hard, we don’t call each other as it’s too hard. We all deal with it in our own ways.”

The impact of Lucas’s death didn’t end with his family but rippled through the entire community.

“Lucas’ death affected so many people especially his family and closest friends,” Mrs Delanty said.

“I believe his father Gary dealt with it the hardest, I don’t know that I could ever deal with losing a child.  

“His sisters Caz and Rach, and brother Matthew, are three of the strongest people I know. It was not an easy time for any of them at all, but they were always there for me even when I had bad days.”

A talented football player, Lucas was the Old Scotch captain, a league best and fairest winner and A-Reserve coach at the time of his death.

A memorial match continues to be held annually in honour of him and footballer Jeff Jordan, who died of cancer in 2011.

Lucas would have been 35 this year.

As part of The Examiner’s road safety campaign, In Your Hands, Mrs Delanty said she had one message for road users.

“All I can say to people is be conscious of your actions because one stupid wrong decision may impact your’s and someone else’s life forever,” she said.

“What has happened to my daughter, Luc’s family and myself I would never wish on anyone. There is no excuse for people to drink drive.”

If you or someone you know has been impacted by a road tragedy, Road Trauma Support Tasmania is available on 6777 6252.