Two children dead after car crashes into Greenacre school
A 52-YEAR-OLD mother of four has been charged after two schoolchildren died and at least nine were badly injured when a car smashed into a classroom at a school in Sydney’s West early today.
NSW
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A WOMAN has been charged after two children died and at least nine were badly injured when a car smashed into a classroom at a school in Sydney’s West today.
About 9.45am, a Toyota Kluger struck the wooden building at the Banksia Road Primary School in Greenacre. Twenty-four children, aged between seven and 11, and a female teacher were inside the building at the time.
Maha Al-Shennag, 52, has ben charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death — drive manner dangerous, and negligent driving (occasioning death).
The woman — a mother of four — was granted conditional bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday, November 29.
‘Tell your parents you love them’
Hundreds of people spilled out onto Banksia Rd to mourn the two boys and the injured children in hospital.
Labor MP for Lakemba Jihab Dib oversaw a moment of silence before giving an impassioned speech about love and perseverance.
“Please keep these two little boys and their family in your prayers and God willing a speedy recovery to those in hospital,” he said. “Make sure you tell your parents you love them.”
When asked about the turnout, Mr Dib said he wasn’t surprised by the numbers as Greenacre was a strong and passionate community that “came together.
“This is very much an impromptu thing but it is our little way of showing respect.”
A ‘scene of carnage’
Two boys, both aged eight, were critically injured in the crash. They were taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead where they were later pronounced dead.
Two girls, aged eight and nine, were also taken to the hospital in a stable condition, and one nine-year-old girl was at the hospital in a serious condition.
Paramedics said 17 students and the teacher were assessed at the school.
It is believed the two eight-year-old boys went into cardiac arrest following the crash and died a short time later.
MORE: YEAR THREE STUDENT DESCRIBES MOMENT OF HORROR CRASH
9 kids under 9 injured: #NSWA Chief Supt Richard Cohen tells #2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley about the tragic scene at #Greenacre
— NSW Ambulance (@NSWAmbulance) November 7, 2017
The other injured children are aged between seven and nine years old, according to a NSW Ambulance spokesman, who described the incident as “horrific”.
The female driver was not hurt. She was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests. After charging her, police also suspended her licence.
Police do not believe the crash was an “intentional act”.
Three tradesman working nearby rushed to help, lifting the front of the Toyota — that had smashed through a wall of the classroom — off one of the badly injured children.
They then provided CPR for five to seven minutes.
One of the tradies, who only wanted to be known as Paul, said several people rushed to the kids’ aid.
“It wasn’t just me, there were a lot of people here helping this morning,” he said.
One paramedic described the horror accident as a “scene of carnage” with “distressed and overwhelmed children and teachers”.
“They were crying, they were distressed, some were asking for their parents,” NSW Ambulance superintendent Stephanie Radnidge said today.
It was “pandemonium” and “distressing”, she said.
“It looked like a bomb had hit the building,” Channel Nine’s Damian Ryan told 2GB.
Mr Ryan said the classroom was 100m inside the school’s entrance and the driver may have been parking when it struck the wooden classroom.
Raja Baghdadi, whose child attends the school, said she was devastated by the accident.
“It is heartbreaking,” she said.
“I collected my son, he is safe. I can’t get the kids out of my mind.”
Emergency services remain on the scene and police blocked off the street as they investigated.
There were chaotic scenes earlier today as frantic parents race to the school to check on their children.
A couple fought back tears as they emerged from the school with their six-year-old son.
“I’ve never been so frightened in all my life,” the boy’s mother said.
His father was told the driver of the vehicle was trying to park.
The Bulldogs would like to send our condolences to the families & students at Banksia Road School. Our thoughts and prayers are with you pic.twitter.com/hOwq6wp4iI
— NRL Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) November 7, 2017
@NSWAmbulance reporting 9 children under 9 being treated after car went into school at Greenacre @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/4ETahsn4TS
— Zara James (@Zara_James9) November 7, 2017
“I heard the person was trying to park and they hit the building. I think it was an accident, I hope it was an accident,” he said.
Distraught parents argued with police as they frantically tried to gain access to the children at the school after police blocked Boronia Rd at Noble Ave.
A single parent of each child was allowed to run to the school gate as police controlled a crowd at the school gate.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead said the three girls, aged and nine, were receiving treatment.
“We’re looking after several children who have been involved in a serious car accident at a school this morning,” director of clinical operations Emma McCahon said.
“Our primary focus is to look after the families. We’ve got as much care as we can in this difficult situation.”
The families of the injured and deceased children were taken to a closed-off area beside the hospital, where they talked with police.
“All our staff are working to look after the families and treat the children’s injuries,” Ms McCahon said.
Education Minister Rob Stokes said he “cannot begin to comprehend the sadness” felt by the parents and families of the two young boys who died in today’s tragic accident.
“My thoughts and prayers are with their families and the entire school community,” he said.
“Our first priority is to support students, staff and parents by any means necessary and allow them time to properly grieve.
“This will not be a quick process and we will work together with the school community to provide whatever assistance we can.”
‘TODAY IS A TRAGIC DAY’
Premier Gladys Berejiklian met with teachers this afternoon and said she was “humbled” by their bravery.
“I can tell you that we have some extremely brave men and women in that school community who did their absolute best to manage what has been an incredibly difficult situation,” she said.
“The way they responded to the tragedy made me feel extremely humbled and proud. The way they did everything in their power not just to take care of the immediate victims but also calm a school community who didn’t know what was going on at the time.”
“I can’t express enough my gratitude to those brave men and women who are there on site and now are still absorbing what’s occurring.”
Counsellors will remain at the school “indefinitely” to help the “very tight” community come to terms with the shocking deaths.
“Today is such a tragic day for all public schools for all people of New South Wales… our hearts go out to the families, our hearts go out to the teachers and first respondents and our thoughts and prayers are for all the victims tonight.”
“Today is really about us wrapping ourselves around the school community and offering them our unconditional support.”
Ms Berejiklian said with a “full” police investigation underway she will wait to “let the experts do their job” before deciding if the government needs to review school building safety.
“It’s too early, I don’t want to pre-empt anything at this stage. There is an investigation going on and once we receive details about that investigation we will determine what way forward,” she said.
There has been no decision on when the school will reopen.
“That’s a matter for authorities and also a matter for how the school feels. When you’re dealt with such a tragedy of such huge proportions there is no rule book you need to do what’s best to support the children, the teachers, the families obviously and we are working closely with the school community to determine what is the best way forward,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Education Minister Rob Stokes offered “gratitude” to the teachers who helped to save children’s lives.
“I also want to offer my gratitude to everyone who worked so hard, to those teacher who provided first aid as well as the rapid response of the emergency services the paramedic and the police who all worked so well together in the effort to save lives,” he said.
“Tonight we grieve with the families who lost their precious little boys in this tragedy and our thought and prayers go with them but also with the families of the three children who remain injured in hospital, as well as the children, teachers and other who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”