A father-of-three died after falling from an electric scooter and his devastated family were forced to face Christmas without him.
Luke Verrell, 45, had been riding his battery-powered board around Umina on the New South Wales Central Coast to meet friends for dinner at 6pm on November 25.
Verrell was wearing a helmet when he fell off the board, which can reach speeds of up to 60km/h, and was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital with serious head injuries.
He died the next day when police confiscated his scooter, which had previously malfunctioned, and reviewed local security cameras of the incident.
His younger brother Jimmy, 38, remembered Verrell as the most generous man and a devoted father to his three children: Dylan, 25, Beau, 10, and Jemma, 6.
“We grew up skating and it was a different time then,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He wouldn’t let his children get on a board without a helmet, knee pads and wrist guards.
‘It wasn’t about being cool or anything like that, but we have to realize that we are not invincible. Especially the electric ones, they go very fast.
Luke Verrell, 45, had been riding his battery-powered board around Umina, on the New South Wales Central Coast, to meet friends for dinner at 6pm on November 25.
Mr Verrell was not wearing a helmet when he fell from the board, which can reach up to 60km/h, and was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital with serious head injuries.
But Jimmy had always thought his older brother was invincible.
He barely remembers a time when Verrell was uninjured and even made light of it while traveling to the hospital.
“During my childhood, there were maybe only two years that he wasn’t bandaged or hurt,” Jimmy recalled..
“The number of times we’ve gotten calls that Luke is in the hospital after falling from something and then he just comes out, usually with crutches or a Band-Aid on his arm and he’s fine.”
Jimmy said his family initially thought nothing of it when they found out Mr Verrell had been involved in the latest accident and was taken to hospital.
“His son Dylan and I were joking about this on the way to the hospital saying, ‘Look out, he’ll be in the pub again at the weekend,'” she said.
“But when we arrived and the doctors told us how serious it was, reality hit us like a ton of bricks.”
Mr. Verrell died the next day, but Jimmy is especially grateful that his family and friends had time to say goodbye.
Luke Verrell (pictured with his daughter Jemma, 6) was a devoted father
“There were more than 30 people in the hospital waiting room,” he recalled.
‘Luke touched so many people. The amount of messages I have received since then has blown me away.
‘Even the local taxi drivers came forward to say he looked after them. Honestly, it’s amazing how many companions that guy had.
Honoring Mr. Verrell’s legacy is something that has been on Jimmy’s mind since his tragic death and he said he and his other brother, Mark, are taking it very seriously.
‘Luke was like a father figure who knew how to guide and be a great sounding board. “He led by example, he had the best manners, he was kind and protective,” he said.
“He loved dad, he loved them very much and wanted them to be raised well to be good people.”
“We’re going to be there for the kids in any way we can to teach them the same values that Luke taught us.”
With Christmas fast approaching and electric scooters becoming a popular gift, Jimmy has urged caution when riding one.
“They go just as fast if you have a child or a big man,” he warned.
‘Luke had a malfunction earlier, had to return it and barely got it back.
“He finally found a way to go as fast as he did when he was younger, but everyone needs to wear a helmet, it’s just not worth the risk, even over short distances.”
Jimmy is now raising money for Luke’s funeral expenses. More information can be found at their instagram page.