Suzanne Clarke: ‘Beloved’ Fremantle Golf Course employee hit by freight truck on January 16 driving to work

The “heart and soul” employee behind the Royal Fremantle Royal Golf Course bar is recovering after her car was “utterly destroyed” in a crash with a freight truck while on her way to work. Suzanne Clarke was just 300m away from the golf course entrance on January 16 when her Mazda 3 was sandwiched between two trucks on High Street. “In her little Mazda 3, she was near the Royal Fremantle Golf Course ready for her next shift when a large truck . . . collided with the back of her at full speed and destructive force,” the 63-year-old’s son Ryan Clarke said. “The impact pushed her car into another large truck in front, leaving her vehicle utterly destroyed.” Mr Clarke told PerthNow his mother was pulled from the car by ambulance workers who happened to be close by and was taken to Fiona Stanley Emergency Hospital, where she was treated for brain trauma, a ruptured spleen and lacerations on her face and neck. Ms Clarke remained in hospital for a week as she recovered from her injuries. “When I went to see her she cried straight away and she wasn’t able to move, so she was rigid with a neck brace and her face was a mess but yeah, she couldn’t speak much and just cried and said ‘I’m OK’,” Mr Clarke said. “She remembers a fair bit. I wouldn’t say she remembers everything because obviously it’s a pretty hard impact but she remembers loud noise and the police officer screaming at everyone to get back.” Mr Clarke said his mum was already eager to get back to the golf club where she has worked in the bar for the past 13 years. “She’s a bit more optimistic than realistic so I think she thought maybe a couple of weeks, but it’s not going to be anywhere near that,” he said. “As much as she misses that place and she misses the people she works with, it’s going to be well and truly over two months before she gets the chance to go back to a full shift.” He said his mum was known as the “go-to staff member” at the bar. “She’s always the one that they call and she comes to their aid, so she’s a very valued staff member,” Mr Clarke said. “She’s been there for decades so she’s got a pretty close connection with all the staff and the members that are regulars there at the clubhouse. “She is the heart and soul of the Royal Fremantle Golf Course bar; her warm smile and kind words have touched countless lives. “A lot of people have reached out to her and made sure she’s OK and sent flowers and things like that, so I think it really goes to show how valued she is in that place and how much she will be missed by staff and the members during her time off.” Mr Clarke has started a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise money for a new car for his mum and to cover the cost of her rehabilitation. “Your support will not only help her heal but also remind her that the same kindness she’s shared with others is being returned in her time of need,” Mr Clarke said.