Kirwan Print Group owner Roger Kirwan narrowly avoided death at the weekend, as an out of control ute careered into the outside café table where he was sharing a coffee with two friends, one of whom was killed instantly.

Witnesses say the ute was travelling at high speed, before jumping a curb, ploughing into Kirwan’s table, and coming to a halt when it smashed into a pillar.

Five other people were seriously injured, with Kirwan himself hospitalised after sustaining several fractures in the incident, which occurred at a Starbucks in a Salt Lake City suburb, where Kirwan had stopped en route to a print conference in Florida.

Speaking to ProPrint Kirwan says, “I will be okay.”

Kirwan’s coffee companion who died in the accident was 48-year-old Salt Lake City resident Joslyn Spilsbury. The 34-year-old ute driver West Walker survived, as did his two children aged six and seven who were in the cab with him. Police have yet to speak to the driver as he is in hospital, but believe a medical issue may have been behind the deadly crash.

Kirwan founded the Kirwan Print Group, which operates out of Brookvale NSW, and includes trade-only label printer Foxcil Labels.

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