Driver charged with manslaughter, high-range PCA over fatal Oatlands crash
The fourth victim of last night’s Oatlands crash has been remembered as a “vibrant 11-year-old girl, full of life and love”. Four children walking along the footpath were killed when an allegedly drunk driver ploughed into them in Sydney’s northwest.
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The fourth victim of last night’s Oatlands crash has been remembered as a “vibrant 11-year-old girl, full of life and love”.
Santa Sabina College students Veronique Sakr was spending Saturday night with her cousins when she was stuck by an allegedly out of control car and died along with Antony, 13, Angelina, 12 and Sienna, 8, Abdallah.
In a statement this afternoon, Veronique’s family said they were devastated by her loss.
“We are devastated by the tragic and senseless loss of our beautiful girl, Veronique,” the family said.
“Words cannot describe the pain we feel for all the families impacted by this tragedy.
“Veronique was a vibrant 11-year-old girl, full of life, love and had a maturity well beyond her young years.
“Veronique brought us all such joy and will be forever remembered. Veronique will remain in our hearts always.
“We would like to thank the emergency services, first responders and all who attended the tragic scene.”
The scene of a horrific crash which killed the four children — including three sibilings — in Sydney’s northwest has today been covered with flowers and tributes as a community outpouring of grief begins.
The parents of three siblings, who were killed alongside their family friend, visited the Oatlands scene this morning and broke down in agony.
Senior police officers described the incident as one of the most tragic they had ever experienced.
The group of children were out for a walk around the neighbourhood and on the footpath when they were struck by the car about 8pm on Saturday.
Danny Abdallah, the father of the three siblings, told the Daily Telegraph he and his wife Leila were at a relative’s 21st and had left their children and their cousins in an aunt’s care when they went on a walk as they regularly did.
“They were going for a walk, an evening walk together and I was very clear on telling them to stay together and on the footpath,” he said.
“(They left my house) around the corner and they were going for a casual walk at sunset and would come back before the sun drops.
“They were walking up and down the road, they weren’t with an adult … my sister in law was looking after them.”
The three siblings and their cousin were killed when 29-year-old Samuel Davidson allegedly mounted the kerb on Bettington Rd at Oatlands and struck them with his Mitsubishi ute.
Another boy, aged 11, was stable in a coma while two other girls, aged 10 and 13, were transported to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with cuts and bruises.
Davidson, who remained at the scene until officers arrived, was arrested and taken to Castle Hill Police Station where he allegedly blew a breath analysis of 0.150.
He was charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter and high-range drink driving.
Davidson did not appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, where he was formally refused bail.
Magistrate John McIntosh shook his head as he read the facts and adjourned the case until April 2.
The siblings’ father, Daniel Abdallah, 41, arrived at the crash scene on Sunday morning and broke down, falling down onto his knees.
“I have a wife Leila, six beautiful children I have been blessed with,” he said.
“Yesterday, I lost three of my children. I had a cousin, she lost her daughter as well. I don’t know what to say. I’m numb. Probably that’s how I feel at the moment.
“All I just want to say is please, drivers, be careful. These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each others’ company, and this morning I woke up – I have lost three kids.”
Mr Abdallah said he shared a special bond with his three killed children Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 8.
“Antony is 13, very handsome boy and he loved basketball, he woke up that morning and said we’re going to play this game for Kobe,” Mr Abdallah said.
“Angelina she was my MLH – my little helper. Anything I needed, she had my back.
“And Sienna, she was my little diva, my little actress.
“They’ve gone to a better place.”
Mr Abdallah said he loved raising his young children with his wife Leila, 34.
“We had six kids, 10 years and under, it was beautiful, we loved it, it wasn’t a problem,” he said.
“That was my full-time job, I always say I was a full-time father, part-time worker, they were my priority. And now they’re gone.”
Mr Abdallah said another child in the crash was in a coma and another had escaped serious injury.
“They were all related and were all coming over to get babysat and I told them to go for a walk, a little walk and stay together you guys should be OK, give them a little independence and this is a one in a million chance thing,” he said.
“They were just walking on the footpath. Please, just make sure you love your loved ones, your kids especially, because you don’t know when.”
The crash happened around the corner from the family home in a quiet, residential pocket of Oatlands, near the golf club.
The street has a 50km/h speed limit but witnesses described skid marks on the footpath by the road.
Traumatic scenes unfolded on the street as distraught family members and friends gathered.
One woman, supported by a friend, wept as she was embraced by friends and eventually collapsed to the ground.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said the loss of the four children was one of the worst moments of his career.
“Tragedies do occur, but in my time in policing, this is on the most tragic involving young children dying in a very tragic circumstance,” he said.
A resident of Bettington Rd said he was outside near his garage when he heard car brakes, skidding and “a great big crash.”
“There were skid marks leading onto the footpath. I don’t know CPR,” he said.
“I know the family affected and I know the children. The family is close to us.”
Another witness said residents ran out of their homes and attempted to save the children’s lives.
“People ran over and were doing CPR until the paramedics got here,” the nearby homeowner said. “One woman was screaming out: ‘Save them, save them’.”
It is understood Davidson’s 24-year-old passenger also attempted to help some of the children before 18 paramedics arrived.
A prayer vigil will be offered tonight at St Michael’s Belfield alongside the relics of St Therese of Lisieux which arrived last week for the first time in 18 years.
“Many of us are in shock of this tragedy that happened last night,” Charlie Bakhos, a family friend of the killed siblings and manager of the Christian Lives Matter group on Facebook, said.
“We will be offering up a rosary tonight at St Michaels Belfield for the Abdallah and Sakr families who lost their little ones.
“Rosary and prayers will be offered up for these souls and their families.”
A message posted to the Living Maronite Facebook page read: “Tonight before you sleep we ask that you remember in your prayers a young Maronite family from our Parish who has been devastatingly affected by a serious accident. We keep them all in our prayers.”