A devastating car crash in Sydney's southwest has claimed the lives of two young siblings. Katherine, aged 5, and her 14-month-old brother Harry were struck by a vehicle in Cabramatta on Wednesday afternoon.
Details of the Incident
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Joseph and Gilbert Streets around 3:15 PM, where bystanders were performing CPR on the children after lifting the car to free one child trapped underneath. Multiple paramedic and medical crews treated the children at the scene before rushing them to The Children's Hospital at Westmead in critical condition. Despite their efforts, the injuries were too severe, and the children could not be saved.
Family's Heartbreaking Loss
A GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Patrick Te revealed that the children's mother, Sok, 33, was pushing Harry in a pram and crossing the road with Katherine when the tragedy occurred. “I am absolutely devastated,” Te wrote. “Their mother, Sok, was picking up Katherine from school. Katherine, who was in her first year of kindergarten, was excited to go home after just receiving an award. As they were crossing the road together, heading back to the car, an oncoming vehicle suddenly struck both Katherine and the pram where Harry was sitting.”
Te added, “A mother not only lost a child — she lost both of her children, her only two children. As a parent myself, I cannot even begin to fathom the long road ahead for both the mother and father.”
Driver Released, Investigation Ongoing
The driver, a 56-year-old man, was uninjured and arrested at the scene before being taken to hospital for mandatory testing. He has since been released. Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman described the scene as “one of the most confronting scenes that police come across, dealing with young children.” He noted that the driver was not known to police or the victims.
Sok was treated for minor injuries at the scene. The fundraiser aims to support the family through this unimaginable ordeal.
