Oatlands carnage: Thousands join road safety petition
Thousands have signed a petition overnight calling on Parramatta Council to install speed humps after four children were killed by an alleged drunk driver in Sydney’s north west on the weekend.
NSW
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Thousands have signed a petition overnight calling on Parramatta Council to install speed humps after four children were killed by an alleged drunk driver in Sydney’s north west on the weekend.
Lilly Saab, who started the change.org petition, said drivers are known to “completely disregard” the 50km/h speed limit on Bettington Road at Oatlands where three siblings Anthony, Sienna and Angelina Abdallah were killed along with their cousin Veronique Sakr on Saturday.
“With long stretches of road and bends in these roads drivers are constantly speeding up and down them,” Ms Saab said.
“Speed humps along these main roads on Bettington Road as well as Wyoming Ave leading into Ellis street and Gollan Ave are a must to slow these drivers down as they exit Pennant Hills road and give the innocent pedestrians and children the safety they deserve.”
Ms Saab also called on convex safety mirrors on all large bends to be installed around where the children lost their lives.
“Parramatta council need to slow down drivers speeding on the main roads in Oatlands by installing these speed humps and convex safety mirrors so this tragedy doesn’t occur again,” she said.
“We need to get together as a community and make this happen.”
Locals who signed the petition described near tragedies where the incident happened and said while the driver Samuel Davidson was allegedly over the alcohol limit, the council can “put things in place” to reduce other reckless motorists from causing another accident.
Sarah McClure who lives on Gollan Avenue said: “I see the cars speed through from Pennant Hills through to North Parramatta with no respect for residents or children crossing the street.”
“Something needs to be done to slow the cards down.”
Another woman whose husband was driving on the same road as the accident on Friday during school pick up time, said he was left infuriated after an “impatient driver” went speeding on the wrong side of the road to overtake him.
“Something needs to be done to make this road safer and deter speeding drivers,” Jodie Matta said.
Hundreds of mourners gathered last night across several Maronite churches including Our Lady of Lebanon in Harris Park where all three families used to attend, and held a vigil to honour the families torn apart by the tragedy.
A sister from the Abdallah family remains in hospital, along with their two cousins from the Kassas family.
The three siblings were remembered for their volunteering work where they went with their parents on Friday night’s to provide clothing and food to the homeless in Blacktown.