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Everything we know about the horrific Sydney crash that killed four children.

 

— With AAP. 

Samuel William Davidson, accused of the manslaughter of four children who were hit by a four-wheel-drive in Sydney’s northwest, has been refused bail.

The 29-year-old was behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi ute which struck seven children who were riding bicycles on a footpath in Oatlands on Saturday night.

Davidson was arrested after returning a positive roadside breath test which allegedly recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.15, three times over the legal limit.

His case was heard on Sunday at Parramatta Bail Court, where he was charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter, dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and drink-driving.

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Davidson did not appear in court, he also did not apply for bail, which was refused by magistrate John McIntosh. He is apparently scheduled to appear on April 2 in Parramatta Local Court.

Three of the children killed in Saturday night’s incident near Parramatta were siblings and the fourth was a member of their extended family. The group of seven children had been riding on the footpath on their way to buy ice cream when the 4WD mounted the kerb and hit them, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

“Yesterday, I lost three of my children,” Daniel, the father of the three children, told media on Sunday morning.

“I had a cousin, Bridget, she lost her daughter as well. I don’t know what to say. I’m numb, probably that’s how I feel at the moment.”

“All I just want to say is please, drivers, be careful. These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each others’ company, and this morning I woke up – I have lost three kids.

“Please, just, make sure you love your loved ones, your kids especially.”

The father lost three of his six kids – those deceased were aged 13, 12 and nine.

“That was my full-time job. I say full-time father, part-time worker. They were my priority. And now they’re gone,” he said in a heartbreaking statement.

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Emergency services were called to Oatlands before 8pm on Saturday, but four of the children died at the scene, police said.

A fifth child, 10, was taken to The Children’s Hospital in Westmead in a critical condition. Two girls, aged 10 and 13, were taken to hospital, both in a serious but stable condition, a NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said.

“I can’t even comprehend it,” a friend of the father told The Sunday Telegraph.

“He has six kids – he’s lost half his family. They’ve lived here for years – [he is] a builder – everyone around here knows him.”

A local described how residents tried to save the children.

“People ran over and were doing CPR until the paramedics got here,” the witness said.

“One woman was screaming out ‘save them, save them’.”

NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Andrew McAlpine said paramedics had arrived to a horrific scene.

“When the first crews arrived on scene they were met with carnage, a very, very difficult scene with a lot of chaos,” he said.

Police said the family were at the hospital with relatives.

“They’re obviously very distraught and under these circumstances we can’t provide much information to them at this stage so that’s difficult for them,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Joyce said.


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