By Lachlan Abbott, Cassandra Morgan and Melissa Cunningham
For 11 years, Jack Davey blessed his family and friends with love, friendship and kindness. Now his family are struggling to comprehend life without him.
In a heartbreaking tribute, his grieving father, Michael, wrote a note to his beautiful son, his Jackie-boi, who was killed on Tuesday when a car careered into a schoolyard in Hawthorn East.
“Our beautiful son. A shooting star who blessed us for 11 years with love, friendship and kindness,” Michael Davey wrote on Instagram.
“You were my inspiration and motivation. I cannot comprehend the life ahead without you. My mate, my champ, my Jackie-boi …
“Godspeed, until we meet again … I love you. Dad x”
Jack, a year 5 student at Auburn South Primary School, died on Tuesday after a Toyota SUV performing a U-turn veered off Burgess Street in Hawthorn East and crashed through a fence into a table of children.
Outside the school on Thursday afternoon, Michael said Millie – the school’s receptionist and a former emergency department nurse – stayed with Jack, comforting him after the crash.
“Words can’t adequately describe the utter devastation we feel as we come to terms with the sudden, overwhelming loss of our Jack; son, brother and friend to many,” he told reporters.
“We find comfort in reading the many messages and the memories of Jack, and how his life and energy was a positive influence on so many in the community at just 11 years old.
“Personally, he is our champion.”
Three girls and a boy were also taken to hospital with serious injuries after the incident. Two children have been discharged, but the other two remain in hospital in stable conditions.
The Johnston family are close friends with the Daveys, with young Luke Johnston playing on the same basketball team as Jack.
David Johnston helped out with the team – which was coached by Jack’s father, Michael.
He recalled the boys were in tears after their very first game. They lost 53-4 – because they had never played basketball before.
But as the season went on, they got better, with Jack stealing the ball and passing it to Luke to snag one of their very first wins. They ended up besting an unbeaten team in the finals.
Jack Davey’s parents, Michael and Jayde, and his sisters look at the tributes and flowers left at Auburn South Primary School on Wednesday.Credit: Nine News
Then, they won the grand final – and the grand final after that.
“The boys were best mates … [but] so many boys say Jack is their best friend, and I think it’s actually true,” David told The Age on Thursday.
“This basketball team, this group of people – Mike and Jayde brought them together.
“They’re the most caring, loving, friendly [family] ... and Jack was the living embodiment of them.”
Jack Davey, 11, was killed when a car careered into his schoolyard.
Jack was “beautiful” with his younger sisters, and was incredibly bright, excelling academically as well as in sport, David said.
Another family friend, Claire Reid, whose son James Reid and Jack were “kindred spirits”, said they had big dreams of going to high school together.
“They had each other’s backs, the world at their feet, and the possibilities were endless,” Claire wrote in a letter.
“Jack was exactly the sort of child you would dream up if you were conjuring a perfect friend for your own beloved child.
“[His death] has broken my son’s heart. It has robbed our community of a future natural-born leader, and a damn decent kid who shone so brightly you could just about see his halo.”
On Thursday afternoon, Victoria’s top traffic officer Glenn Weir said the 40-year-old female driver had been spoken to several times since the incident, but indicated that charges were not imminent.
“The investigation is ongoing. Obviously, it’s very complex. We want to get it right,” the road policing assistant commissioner said. Weir added police were “very conscious, too, of allowing the school to heal” and not “being in their face”.
“The last thing we need to do is to rush and charge anyone in relation to it because that can again trigger things with victims and survivors,” he said.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Education Minister Ben Carroll laid flowers at Auburn South Primary School on Thursday morning. They spoke to principal Marcus Wicher and other school leaders.
“We are all continuing to grieve with the Auburn South Primary School,” Allan said.
“We need to also continue to hold that school community in our hearts and thoughts because this is going to be a long journey ahead.”
On Wednesday, Jack’s grieving parents and younger sisters visited the school.
His father, Michael, was carrying Jack’s school bag. His mother, Jayde, and sisters collected some soccer balls his friends had covered in handwritten messages to take home.
Jack’s grandmother was seen being comforted outside the school on Wednesday, Nine News reported.
On Thursday morning, at the second school drop-off after the fatal crash, parents walked their children to the school gate, staying close to them for as long as they could before waving them goodbye.
Bunches of flowers and several signed soccer balls still lined the school fence.
Australian Futsal Association Victorian coaching director Anthony Brown was among those who visited the school on Thursday to pay his respects.
Every futsal age group would hold a minute’s silence before they played on Friday night, Brown said. They would also wear black arm bands in Jack’s honour.
The association was also planning on naming a trophy after Jack for the under 12’s division.
“I’ve been lucky enough to coach him,” Brown said.
“He was a great kid. He was a coach’s dream. He was respectful, so mature for his age, and such a great player. Everyone just loved him. You don’t want this to happen to anyone, but especially not a kid like Jack.”
Inside the school, classes were running as normal. Outside, parents hugged. By 9.30am, the street was quiet again.
With Rachel Eddie
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