A mother is shattered after her five-year-old daughter and one-year-old son died when a car struck them while crossing the road after school. The tragic incident occurred in Sydney's south-west on Wednesday afternoon.
Details of the Tragedy
The siblings, Katherine, 5, and Harry, 1, were crossing the road with their mother, Sok Ram, 33, at an intersection in Cabramatta when a vehicle hit them. The mother and father, Vundy Tha, spoke to media at the crash scene on Thursday morning.
“Everyone tried to save them … I love them more than my life,” a heartbroken Sok said. “I think about when the car came … I wish it hit me, not my baby and daughter.”
Katherine had just told her mother about an award she received for hard work in class moments before the crash. She was due to receive the award on Friday.
Heroic Bystanders
Several motorists rushed to overturn the vehicle that had struck the children, while others performed CPR in a desperate attempt to save their lives. Paramedics treated them at the scene and rushed them to hospital, but they later died from their injuries. The mother was treated for minor injuries. The driver, a 56-year-old man, was uninjured and arrested at the scene but has not been charged. He was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Family friend Patrick Te described the final moments: “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.” He added, “A mother not only lost a child - she lost both of her children, her only two children.”
Community Response
NSW Police Acting Commander Timothy Calman praised the bystanders: “The community involved here this afternoon was phenomenal. We've had a number of motorists that stopped and collectively moved the vehicle onto its side to get one of the children from underneath.” Police are seeking to speak to four of the eight men who helped at the scene.
Neighbours described the junction as “an accident waiting to happen” due to poor visibility and speeding vehicles. A resident living near the crash site called it “horrible” and “tragic.”
A GoFundMe campaign set up by Patrick Te has raised over AUD$167,800 (£88,704) in 17 hours to support the family financially during this heartbreaking loss.
