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Cockatoo Day Care: West Pymble childcare centre evacuated

Kids at a North Shore childcare centre received a big shock on Wednesday when a truck crashed into a pole bringing live electricity wires down in front of them.

Life with coronavirus through the eyes of a child

A daycare centre full of kids received a shock on Wednesday when police had to evacuate the tiny tots after a truck crashed into a pole and brought down power lines on Sydney’s North Shore.

Just before 11am police and Fire and Rescue blocked off all six lanes of Ryde Rd at West Pymble after a truck slammed into a pole outside the Cockatoo Day Care. 

Seven kids were evacuated from the family day care centre. Picture: John Grainger
Seven kids were evacuated from the family day care centre. Picture: John Grainger

A spokesman for Fire and Rescue said no one was injured, but the crash brought down dangerous live wires. 

“The pole was snapped at the base which caused the wires to come down … the driver was out of the truck and uninjured,” the spokesman said. 

Allison Galvin works as an educator at the day care centre, and she told The Daily Telegraph the crash gave her quite a shock.

The truck ran up the gutter and snapped the power pole. Picture: John Grainger
The truck ran up the gutter and snapped the power pole. Picture: John Grainger

“We were inside when I heard the truck run up the gutter, I heard a huge bang as we were letting the kids out,” Ms Galvin said.

“I saw all the trees start to spark right out the front of our daycare, so we put the kids in lockdown,” she said. 

When police realised the building was a day care centre they sprung into action to evacuate the little ones.

Ms Galvin said police helped keep the kids calm as they evacuated the seven kids.

“Some of the policemen helped escort them across the main road and to their parents, it was a smooth operation,” she said. 

The kids were calmed by the police officers presence. Picture: John Grainger.
The kids were calmed by the police officers presence. Picture: John Grainger.

“Hats off to emergency services, they had it all under control, the kids were safe and happy and nobody was stressing.”

One of the parents told The Daily Telegraph she was “nervous” when she arrived to pick up her daughter and spotted an electricity wire hanging from the pole. 

Her daughter at just two-years-old took it all in her stride. 

“I think because she’s so young she was just excited to hold the police officers hand,” the mum said.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/cockatoo-day-care-west-pymble-childcare-centre-evacuated/news-story/37226cd20b7f1eeb36a4decffc4e5e95