At the scene of the horrific ute collision in Sydney’s southwest, the distraught father of one of the five teens slain there has broken down in tears.
At the tree where his son Antonio, 16, and his friends Tyrese Bechard, Summer Williams, Lily Van De Putte, and Gabriella McLennan, all 14 and 15, were slain, Joey Desisto was filled with sorrow.
Just after 8 o’clock on Tuesday night, the five perished when the Nissan Navara ute they were travelling in swerved off the road near Buxton, 100 kilometres southwest of the city, and collided with a tree.
Driver Tyrell Edwards, 18, was the only survivor and was transported to the Narellan police station on Wednesday night after being detained.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Desisto and his wife Belinda showed up to the scene of the collision, and the bereaved father laid Antonio’s white sneakers and his sweatshirt at the base of the damaged tree trunk.
The kid had just started an apprenticeship in carpentry after from Picton High School.
Then, in a ritualistic act, his father dumped a can of Red Bull soft drink over the flower offerings that had been placed at the tree’s base in honour of the deceased children.
The distraught father fell to his knees and wailed as he was encircled by family members who were hugging and crying as his wife shrieked “NO” in anguish.
Then Mr. Desisto got up and walked around the accident area, feeling his way through the grass to gather some of the wreckage left by the hit.
Friends and family had to stand by his widow as she stretched out to the tree where their kid had died out of sheer grief.
It’s thought that the truck crashed into the tree on its side, shattering the cabin and killing the five teenagers inside.
The family remained at the scene for 30 minutes as they had their own private tribute, holding hands and holding each other while Lynyrd Skynyrd’s song Simple Man was played.
Prince’s Purple Rain and Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here were playing when Mr. Desisto hugged his wife and collapsed to the ground there.
A young lady who is thought to be a relative of Tyrese Bechard left a set of football boots close by.
Lily’s father, John van de Putte, told the ABC that Tyrell Edwards, the driver, “is going to go through hell,” therefore he “doesn’t hold any grudges” against him.
Mr. Edwards, a recent Picton High School graduate, was detained for necessary blood and urine tests but is not currently in custody of the police. When he was breathalysed on the spot, the results were negative.
As of Wednesday morning, he was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital in Liverpool. No accusations have been made.
The horrific incident has shocked the close-knit community of Buxton as the grieving inhabitants try to comprehend the catastrophe.
One of Miss McLennan’s closest friends broke down in tears as she put a picture of the victim as a small child with a yellow halo over her head at the scene of the incident.
The family consoled the girl before she got up to touch the picture one final time before she left the scene.
At the scene of the collision, Antonio’s closest buddy also started crying and becoming upset with the waiting press.
The young guy, who was crying, said, “Show some respect,” and then he and his mother left.
The 18-year-old bar worker was reportedly driving his mother’s vehicle when Jamarley Frail, the driver Mr. Edwards’ close buddy, last saw him.
I have never seen him driving a Nissan. Mr. Frail, who is also 18 and attended Picton High School with Mr. Edwards in the same year, stated, “I don’t know whose automobile it is.
I know a lot of the accident victims, he said.
He also talked with Summer Williams on the day of the accident and said that she was “like a sister to me.”
She has the most lovely spirit.
“I don’t get it,” I said. I’m upset about what took place.
Rather than through official sources, he learned that he knew each and every one of the accident fatalities.
One of my friends learned Tyrrell’s name, and from there, he said, “one name led to another.”
Mr. Frail said he didn’t know what had occurred but was relieved Mr. Edwards had survived the collision.
“I’m not certain. I don’t understand why they travelled in his vehicle.
The driver Mr. Edwards’ close buddy Jamarley Frail, who is 18 and works at a bar, is seen in the photo. Miss Williams, he said, was “like a sister to me.”
Flowers kept showing up at the collision scene.
You will never be forgotten, must love, Caiden was written on one bouquet of flowers, while “love the memories” was written on another. We shall miss you.
A swarm of mourners carrying flowers came just after 10.30am to contribute to the growing pile of cellophane and flowers at the foot of the rash tree.
As she stacked her arrangement of flowers on top of the other bouquets, one adolescent girl wept out.
A man and woman also had a long, passionate hug across the street from the scene of the accident in a clearing in the bushes.
On Wednesday morning, friends and relatives went to the accident site to drop flowers and express their condolences.
On a box of flowers was a note that said, “Gone too soon.” Someone else put a little light beside the tree.
Two older ladies consoled two adolescent girls who left their tributes while carrying yellow chrysanthemums, and two boys who carried white flowers.
One of the mothers there was too shaken to discuss the tragedy in detail, although she did add, “I’m sorry.” So sad. Too youthful.
One of the deceased adolescents had a handwritten note that said, “Gone too soon” and “gave so much goodness to this world.”
A girl and an elderly lady held the crying adolescent boy as they stood silently watching the awful spectacle at the scene.
One of the several floral arrangements left for the five young victims is an old set of Subaru vehicle keys.
Elly Mount, a year 9 student, shed tears as she recalled the five kids who died and shared how she almost went on the tragic trip with them.
After putting flowers at the accident scene with her mother, Amy Cook, Miss Mount stated, “They wanted me to spend out with them.”
Miss Mount, who had tears flowing down her face, said that she had been closest to two of the sisters, who were top soccer players for the school.
“[One of my friends] was a great goalkeeper. My mother took care of everything and drove me to games.
I don’t believe it to be real. I can’t handle it.
“Which of their parents is going to get up and get their soccer medals?”
The student claimed that the two boys and the rest of the group she almost went out driving with were in Year 9 or 10.
Blayze Cox, a little girl who lost her “best buddy” on Wednesday morning, struggled to hold back tears as she saw the incident.
I’m a little stunned and still have a hard time accepting this. She was like an elder sister to me and my dearest friend, she said on the Today Show.
I had no idea it would occur so quickly.
Similar to her, her mother was upset and eventually buried her head in her hands.
I feel bad for the family, and I know my girls are in danger. They and I are both extremely upset about the situation; it’s awful, she said.
According to Miss Cox, her friend was “a very energetic and kind-hearted girl.”
She loved to go to the beach, listen to country music, and most importantly, she adored her friends and family, the witness recalled. She was 14 years old.
I will always think of her for her smile and her lovely laugh.
After learning about the collision on social media, the victims’ families hurried to the scene, according to Camden Police Superintendent Paul Fuller, who also said that alcohol was not thought to be a contributing factor.
He stated that as of Wednesday morning, not all of the teenagers had been formally identified, and that police were assisting the families.
A tragedy of this magnitude will have repercussions for their families, friends, and the neighbourhood, he said, adding that the accident scene was horrific.
It’s one of the worst accident scenes I’ve ever seen in my 38 years as a police officer.
Picton High School issued a statement on Wednesday in which it expressed its condolences to the friends and family of the students who were hurt in the tragic accident on Tuesday.
‘At Picton High we are prioritising support for our students as they come to terms with this terrible news. Extra counselling support and alternative arrangements will be in place to help our students through this.’
At the school, teenagers hugged and a girl was led crying from the campus.
The NSW Department of Education is putting on more counselling services on campus, so students were ushered in quickly.
First responders who arrived at the horrific sight and some of whom could have recognised the victims will also get counselling.
Stuart, a resident of Buxton who lives 12 doors away from the scene of the accident, claimed to have heard a car drive by but did not specify whether he believed it was travelling at a high rate of speed.
He told Radio 2GB that “the road is rather small, there are no street lights, and the trees are half a metre off the road.”
A witness who lives close to the accident site said that he saw a helicopter land in a neighbouring field and heard sirens immediately after the event.
According to Justin Davis, “We heard the emergency cars responding pretty soon and saw the lights flashing, it lit up the whole street.”
According to Mr. Davis, the region is often fairly quiet.
Even young children who ride motorcycles along the street do so quietly, he noted.
Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould said on Wednesday that his “entire shire is waking up in shock and sadness.”
He said, “I don’t even have the words for how bad this is.”
“How how do you start to deal with a loss like this?” This is among the most devastating occurrences we have experienced in a very long time.
We have a strong sense of community. Our thoughts are with the Buxton community’s loved ones and friends.
The school captain at Picton High School had been “upset,” according to local MP Nathaniel Smith, who claimed to have talked with her.
He claimed the news was being received “very harshly” by the school community.
Despite emergency personnel’s best attempts, Superintendent Adam Druber told the Today Show that “there wasn’t much anybody could do” for the victims.
Many emergency service personnel may know the victims, which complicates what we do in the community and adds to the difficulty of these sorts of occurrences, particularly in these neighbourhoods, he added.
Three female and two male passengers, all of whom were thought to be about the same age, perished at the scene, according to an official statement released by NSW Police on Tuesday night.
Multiple emergency personnel responded to “a severe accident on East Parade with multiple casualties,” according to Fire and Rescue NSW.
There was also a medical crew that came by helicopter.
Anyone with dashcam video or information regarding this event is asked to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-333-TIPS.