A court has heard that the teenage driver who was operating the vehicle during the horrific ute crash in which five of his schoolmates perished was previously hospitalized as a result of a car accident.
On September 6, Tyrell Edwards, 18, was operating a Nissan Navara ute when it struck two trees close to the community of Buxton, southwest of Sydney.
Edwards was the only one to survive the collision.
Tragically, the following passengers perished at the scene: Lily van de Putte, 15, Antonio Desisto, 15, Summer Williams, 14, Tyrese Bechard, 16, and Gabby McLennan, 14.
Five charges of causing a death via hazardous driving have been brought against Edwards.
Renee Edwards, his mother, who is 37, spoke at length about his challenging childhood and his prior involvement in a similar disaster in an effort to support his bail plea before the NSW Supreme Court.
In court records obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Mrs. Edwards claimed that her teenage son had a history of “social anxiety,” that he had made an online buddy by the name of “Sam,” and that he had previously been hospitalized after a vehicle accident in 2015 in which he was not the driver.
Tyrell “showed challenges with social anxiety, issues with exhibiting emotion and social awareness” from a young age, according to Mrs. Edwards, who testified in court.
He was once seen by a teacher “hiding beneath the desk” in class rather than participating in the lecture, the instructor said.
Ms. Edwards said that her son’s lack of “solid mates” and difficulty sustaining friendships throughout his early years had a negative influence on his mental health.
Through his teens, Edwards exhibited behaviors including “flapping his arms,” which his mother said would “show his degree of joy” or if he was overwhelmed, according to court filings.
Tyrell often complied with his younger, more domineering brothers’ requests to appease them and diffuse a problem, according to Mrs. Edwards.
When Tyrell is overwhelmed or delighted, his brother frequently remarks on his “flapping arms and bouncing.”
She said that he would avoid social situations “for absolutely no reason at all,” even opting to remain in on his 18th birthday rather than go out and celebrate.
The Covid-19 epidemic caused a “rapid decrease” in his health, according to Ms. Edwards’ affidavit.
His “depressing” social media messages started to worry his family more and more.
‘Tyrell was reclusive throughout the Covid era, sleeping the most of the time. She said that Tyrrell’s only major pastime was gaming with his brothers and that he had made the online acquaintance “Sam”.
In comparison to the tens of thousands of Facebook friends his brothers had, he only had 217, she continued.
His mother also said that he had “learning challenges,” which might cause anxiety and cause him to “retreat to his room for comfort.”
She also mentioned a series of family diseases and being apart from close family members as factors that contributed to his deteriorating mental state.
Recently, Ms. Edwards said that her son’s viewpoint had changed as a result of landing a job with a nearby excavating business.
‘In the last six months Tyrell began working with (excavation company). I have seen Tyrrell grow and develop throughout time. The mother said that her son had been happier in himself and more involved in family life.
In his declaration to the court, his father, Henry Edwards, said that his son and wife had a “unbreakable tie” and often made fun of him as a “mumma’s child.”
He said that while Edwards was experiencing anxiety, he would often take time out of work. He described his son as a “wonderful child” who would “do everything for us and everyone he knew.”
In his report, Mr. Edwards said that Tyrell “battled with his levels of anxiousness… Tyrell found it difficult to find words to convey how it was impacting him emotionally and struggled with how to regulate his feelings physically.”
Tyrell would never argue or defy me if I was ever unhappy; he would instead shut down.
Tyrell will withdraw inside himself in order to prevent additional disagreement and put an end to any issue since he “cannot stand anyone being disappointed in him.”
Edwards was given bail with stringent requirements, including a 40-hour work week at the excavating business.
His mother must transport him to and from work. He is not allowed to drive alone and may only leave the house with Mrs. Edwards’ permission.
Tyrell Edwards “feared for his life” and was profoundly impacted by the tragic catastrophe, according to Justice Robert Beech-Jones.
According to him, the applicant was impacted by a variety of issues, including “prominent sorrow, complicated sadness, anxiety, survivor guilt and humiliation, self condemnation, and realization of the stigma he would certainly encounter both in the prison environment and the community.”
As soon as Edwards was sent to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Silverwater, it was stated that his family feared for his safety while he was detained.
In a second statement, Mrs. Edwards said to the court, “I feel… in continual terror that my kid would not survive the day.”
In a statement, NSW Corrective Services said that the “safety and wellbeing” of inmates was their “top priority.”
Prisoners who were “vulnerable” or at danger due to their mental health were included in the evaluation of management of inmates, according to the statement.
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