A mother has spoken of her devastating heartbreak after a car mowed down the pram carrying her five-year-old daughter and baby son as they walked home from school in Sydney, killing both children just hours later in hospital.
Sok Ram, 33, was pushing Katherine, 5, and one-year-old Harry through an intersection in Cabramatta on the afternoon of Wednesday 17 June when an oncoming vehicle struck them. Bystanders rushed to help, with several motorists stopping, collectively tipping a car onto its side to free one of the children trapped underneath, and performing CPR on both toddlers before an ambulance arrived. Despite the heroic efforts of those at the scene, Katherine and Harry died from critical injuries at Westmead Hospital a few hours later. Their mother was treated for minor injuries. The 56-year-old driver was unharmed and has since been released without charge following a mandatory arrest and testing.
Speaking through her grief, Sok told Australian media: “I think about when the car came, I wish it hit me and not my babies. Everyone tried to save them but they’re not alive, they’re not alive. I can not believe it.”
The tragedy unfolded just a short distance from Cabramatta West Public School, where Katherine was in her first year of kindergarten. She had been celebrating that day after learning she had won an award for being a hardworking student — she was due to receive it on Friday. Family friend Patrick Te, who launched a fundraising campaign for the family that has already raised close to £10,000, described the moment in a statement. “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.”
The children’s father, Vundy Tha, said in a statement that the family had chosen to forgive the driver, understanding the collision was not intentional. “We forgive everything,” he said.
NSW Police Acting Commander of Fairfield City, Timothy Calman, praised the response of members of the public who intervened at the scene. “The community involved here this afternoon was… I can only say it’s phenomenal,” he said. “We’ve had a number of motorists that actually stopped, and collectively have moved the vehicle onto its side, tipped the car over, in order to get one of the children from underneath the vehicle. Other bystanders have assisted with CPR to assist the children and the children’s mother.”
Detectives are reviewing security footage from the moments leading up to the collision and are expected to interview four of the eight men who helped at the scene in order to piece together exactly what happened, according to Nine.com.
