Scholarship honours young boy killed on Gold Coast
David Guimaraes, a long-time RACQ employee, said the scholarship was a deeply meaningful step forward for his family.
“From the day he was born, Aiden was a fighter. By the age of five, he had undergone five surgeries following a diagnosis of 22q11 deletion syndrome, only to be taken in a tragic and avoidable road crash,” he said.
“There’s nothing that can bring Aiden back, but the research Jessica will undertake, and those after her, thanks to RACQ and QUT, will hopefully prevent other families from experiencing the trauma we’ve endured.”
In Aiden’s memory, the scholarship will be awarded annually to a PhD student from QUT’s Faculty of Health whose research contributes to safer roads and healthier transport options for Queensland’s youngest road users.
RACQ’s Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer Glenn Toms said the scholarship was an important milestone in continuing the nine-year-old’s legacy.
“Aiden was tragically taken from his family and our community far too soon in an incident we see far too often,” said Mr Toms.
“This scholarship aims to ensure his death was not in vain - it’s about changing the current, dire trajectory of road safety outcomes and protecting future generations.
“RACQ is proud to support the next generation of researchers working to make our roads safer. Congratulations to Jessica whose work will no doubt have a profound impact in this space.”
Jessica completed her Bachelor of Behavioural Science in 2024, is finishing Honours in 2025, and will start a PhD with the MAIC-QUT Road Safety Research Collaboration in 2026.
Her research focuses on improving road safety outcomes for children, with a particular interest in applying behavioural approaches to protect young road users and promote active transport.“I’m extremely grateful to be awarded this scholarship and I’m excited to collaborate with RACQ to explore ideas that can make a real tangible difference,” she said.
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