New details emerge about the lead-up to tragic crash in which four children were killed
A man who allegedly killed four children when his ute veered from the road in Sydney’s northwest had been drinking with friends before heading out to get cash, police will allege.
Samuel William Davidson, 29, left his Oatlands share house shortly after 8pm on Saturday and allegedly jumped a red light as he headed for a nearby Caltex Service station, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The newspaper has reported that Davidson is the son of a retired NSW police detective.
As he and a friend returned home, he allegedly mounted the pavement and struck a group of children who were en route to buy ice cream, killing four of them.
Witnesses told The Daily Telegraph that he was seen driving on the wrong side of the road.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where Davidson, who was sat topless in the driver’s seat, allegedly returned a 0.15 blood-alcohol content reading – three times the legal limit.
A neighbour described Davidson’s home on Greens Avenue, which he rented with two other friends, as a “typical kind of bachelor house for young guys”.
Three of the four children killed, aged 13, 12 and 8, were siblings. The other child killed was their 11-year-old cousin.
An 11-year-old boy who was hurt in the incident is in a stable condition in hospital and two girls aged 13 and 10 suffered minor injuries.
Davidson has been charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter, dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and drink-driving.
His case was heard at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. He did not appear in court and did not apply for bail, which was formally refused by magistrate John McIntosh.
He's scheduled to return to Parramatta Local Court on April 2.
Mr McIntosh visibly shook his head while reading the facts of the case.
Family left ‘numb’ from deaths
Danny Abdallah, the father of victims Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 8, told reporters on Sunday he and wife Leila were heartbroken.
They both visited the site on Bettington Road on Sunday morning, with Leila extremely distressed.
Distraught members of the Oatlands community on Sunday also placed flowers at the scene, with shrines established for each of the Abdallah children.
"I don't know what to say. I'm numb, probably that's what I feel at the moment. All I want to say is please, drivers, be careful," Mr Abdallah said.
"These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each other's company ... and this morning I woke up and I have lost three kids."
The fourth child killed, 11-year-old Veronique, was a cousin of Mr Abdullah’s children.
NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Andrew McAlpine on Saturday evening said paramedics had attended a horrific scene.
"This is incredibly hard for the emergency services, notwithstanding the losses that the families have sustained," he said.
"It's very, very difficult for police, for fire rescue, for paramedics to be confronted with such chaos and carnage."
An emotional NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy told reporters on Sunday the driver was charged after refusing to be interviewed by police but they were speaking with witnesses.
"Tragedies do occur but in my time in policing, this is one of the most tragic involving young children dying," Mr Corboy said.
With AAP
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