Archie King: GoFundMe fundraiser started for King family after crash killed boy, 12
The community has rallied to support the King family after Archie, 12, was killed in a tragic accident at Lisarow. Now a survivor of another crash at the same spot calls for a guardrail.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A GoFundMe fundraiser is on track to reach its target after more than $74,300 has been pledged in the first two weeks of being launched, as the outpouring of support and condolences continues for the King family.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ HOW ANOTHER WOMAN WAS ALMOST KILLED AT THE SAME SPOT
Archie King, 12, was tragically killed and his father Neil King remains in critical condition after their Nissan Xtrail lost control on Fagans Rd, at Lisarow, on February 20, and hit a power pole.
Archie’s younger brother Seth, 11, was also injured in the crash.
He was taken to hospital but was released a few days later.
Archie had just started Year 7 at Central Coast Sports College and his principal Paul Chapman has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist his family in this incredibly difficult time.
“Archie was a lovely young boy, full of life, who was passionate about all things football,” Mr Chapman said on GoFundMe.
“Having recently being selected to play within the Central Coast Mariners Academy — and having grown up playing with local club Terrigal United and his younger brother playing for Central Coast United — this tragic news has sent a big shockwave through not only their close family network, but their schools and football communities too.”
“Now is the right time to come together as a community and do what we can to support the King family during this very tough time.”
Archie’s dad Neil, 48, remains in critical condition and Mr Chapman said the next few weeks would be crucial to know the full extent of his injuries and his possible recovery.
“Although money can never fill the void of this tragic loss, we know that the coming months will be very hard for the family as they navigate through grief, recovery and an uncertain future,” Mr Chapman said.
“Please give as generously as you feel you can, to alleviate some of the financial pressure for the King family in the immediate term.”
The fundraiser was launched on Saturday March 6 and as of 3pm on Thursday, it had already raised $74,336 with an ultimate target of $100,000.
WOMAN NEARLY KILLED IN SAME SPOT CALLS FOR GUARDRAIL
A woman injured when her car spun out of control in a no-fault crash on Fagans Rd in 2018 wished she “did more” to get the notorious black spot addressed.
When the car in front of Cherie Lang started skidding the pathologist backed her speed right down to about 40km/h.
Ms Lang was heading from Erina to Lisarow along The Ridgeway in early October 2018 in the wet and her car had already “skipped twice but I recovered”.
She let the car in front of her disappear into the distance and she turned left into Fagans Rd and started down the long sweeping right hand bend.
“I came around the corner and the back of my station wagon slid out,” she said.
From there time appeared to go in slow motion with the 45-year-old fishtailing “left-right, left-right” heading for the rock wall on one side of the road and bushland on the other.
“I didn’t want to hit either,” she said.
Dozens of thoughts flashed before her mind not least of which that “I forgot to get the Takata airbags fixed” and she wished the electrician had screwed her car’s stereo in properly when he installed it.
Her silver station wagon missed the power pole where 12-year-old Archie King was killed on February 20 and rolled four times down an embankment before hitting a tree.
Coming to rest partially upside down Ms Lang “stabilised herself” before ringing her mum who told her to call an ambulance.
She could hear sirens above her and feared they wouldn’t be able to see her at the bottom of the embankment so she managed to unclip climb out of the back window.
“The paramedics said `we were coming to collect a body’,” Ms Lang said.
She was taken to hospital with a head injury suffered when the stereo flew out and hit her above the eye and a neck injury, which later required two vertebrae to be fused together.
She still suffers headaches and requires ongoing steroid injections from a neurologist.
After the crash she returned to the scene and was told of the road’s notorious history and the lengths residents had gone to try and get something done.
“I rang the council and asked why there wasn’t a guardrail,” she said.
“They said I had two weeks to remove my car or I would get a $880 fine.”
Ms Lang said she tried to take it further but given her injuries and the revelation her car was uninsured, because she had inadvertently paid her son’s car insurance twice, she moved on.
It is something she later regrets.
“I’ve been thinking, maybe if I did more? Maybe if I pushed harder?” she said following the tragic crash which claimed young Archie’s life.
Ms Lang said it was time more people lobbied council and or the state government.
She said if resurfacing the road was too expensive, a guardrail would have stopped her going down the embankment and could have stopped Archie’s father’s Nissan Xtrail from hitting the pole.
“It’s a bit late for Archie but we could save someone else, it is preventable,” she said.
A response has been sought from council.
More Coverage
‘A tonne of it’: ‘Magic wand’ saves day for Aussies in SailGP LA
Tom Slingsby’s Australian crew had to grab one of the strangest - and low tech - pieces of equipment on their hi tech foiling catamaran to save the day at the LA SailGP regatta
Read more
How’s that! Young cricketer a beacon for aspiring female players
Meet Anouk Van’twel. Believed to be the first junior to ever coach a female team on the Central Coast, let alone two. But what’s even more incredible is she’s got both teams into grand finals.
Read more