Labor MP Ed Husic has detailed the significant injuries he sustained, including a concussion and a fractured back, following a severe truck collision that occurred last month. Husic described himself as "very lucky" to have survived the incident, which left him with memory loss from the time of the crash until he regained consciousness in the hospital.
Dashcam footage from the collision, played during an interview, shows Husic's vehicle stationary at an off-ramp before a truck loses control and impacts the rear of his car. "That was when I was just waiting to go off the off-ramp," Husic said, noting he had no forewarning of the impending collision. The concussion he suffered resulted in him being unable to recall events on the day of the accident, necessitating follow-up meetings with individuals he had spoken to previously.
"My mind is a blank from midday through to when I regained consciousness in the emergency department," Husic stated. He shared that he had to request second meetings with people whose conversations he could not remember, explaining, "I saw some people that I'd seen on the day and said, 'Listen, I know my diary says that I met you that day, I'm going to have to have another meeting because I can't remember anything of what we discussed.'"
Initially, Husic expressed concern that he might have injured someone else. "I couldn't get over when I woke up that I'd been in an accident," he said. "I was genuinely concerned I might have hurt someone else and I'm just very thankful."
He received care at Westmead Hospital and underwent physiotherapy in Mount Druitt. Husic noted that the full severity of the crash was not apparent until he saw his damaged vehicle the day after the incident. "The full extent of it wasn't clear to me until I turned up to the smash repairs the next day in Mount Druitt and saw the car," he recalled. "I was just so thankful I didn't have anyone in the back seat."
Husic is also known for his advocacy on Israel-related issues within the Labor party. Earlier this year, he was prominent in lobbying for a tougher stance on Israel, which included advocating for a reference to 'acts of genocide' in the party's national platform. This campaign was a significant point of discussion during Labor's national conference in Adelaide.