Aussie grandfather holidaying in Bali killed in horror crash – leaving his grieving wife with extensive injuries
An Australian grandfather holidaying in Bali has died in a horror crash which also left his wife seriously injured.
Andy Stoakes and his wife Julianne were passengers in their Indonesian friend Jeffrey’s Toyota Rush when it lost control and slammed into a concrete barrier on Saturday night.
Confronting CCTV captured the car slamming into a concrete divider on the Bali Mandara Toll Road as they headed into Denpasar from Jimbaran to buy tiles.
Mr Stoakes was rushed to BIMC Hospital, where doctors were unable to revive him.
His wife of 44 years also suffered life-threatening injuries and needed emergency hospital treatment before she was medically evacuated back home to Perth.
Ms Stoakes recalled the horror crash after being discharged from hospital on Thursday.
‘I thought I was going to die,’ she told Seven News.
‘I saw it (the concrete barrier) and then my husband yelled out to Jeffrey but by then, we had hit the wall.’
Andy Stoakes (left) died in a crash near Denpasar, Bali, on Saturday night. His wife Julianne (right) was severely injured
The couple and the driver were all wearing seatbelts at the time.
Their Indonesian friend remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Ms Stoakes described her husband as a great father and grandfather.
‘Both of my sons are plumbers, and my husband’s a plumber,’ she said.
‘My husband is a good tradesman of all sorts so he actually has taught them as well from bricklaying, brick paving, carpentry work, all that.
‘He’s been an inspiration to all of them, so that’s a legacy he’ll leave.
‘Nothing was ever too hard. You would ask him to do something and right then and there, he would do it for you.
‘He always had an answer or knew how to fix things, which is what I’m going to miss.’
Their friend’s car (above) slammed into a concrete barrier
Ms Stoakes now faces a long and challenging journey of surgeries, rehabilitation and recovery.
She broke her ribs, sternum and shoulder, and suffered fractures in her feet and back.
She also has blood in her lungs and extensive bruising.
The grandmother is a casual patient care assistant at Armadale Hospital but currently is unable to work due to the extent of her injuries.
One of her sons remains in Bali navigating the unimaginable task of bringing his father’s body home.
Friend Bree Pember has created a GoFundMe to ease the financial burden as Ms Stoakes recovers and grieves.
‘For many years, Bali was a place Andy and Julianne loved,’ Ms Pember wrote.
‘It held countless happy memories, making this tragedy even more unimaginable for everyone who knows and loves them.
Ms Stoakes (above) remembered her husband as a ‘great father and grandfather’
‘While some immediate emergency expenses have been supported through travel insurance, the road ahead is still incredibly difficult.
‘Julianne faces months of recovery and will be unable to work for the foreseeable future.
‘The family will also be navigating funeral expenses, ongoing rehabilitation, day-to-day living costs, and the financial impact of losing Andy.’
