Distraught dad tells of kids killed by ‘drunk’ driver
The father of three children killed by an alleged high-range drink driver on Saturday night said he is ‘‘numb’’ from the loss of his children.
Daniel Abdallah said his children – Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 9 – were walking with other relatives down Bettington Rd around 8pm on Saturday night when 29-year-old Samuel Davidson allegedly struck the group with his 4WD.
Breath tested at the scene, Davidson allegedly returned a reading of 0.150 – three times the legal limit.
On Sunday morning he was charged with more than 20 offences, including manslaughter, dangerous driving under the influence of occasioning death and high-range drink driving.
He was to face Parramatta Bail Court yesterday.
At the scene of the collision, Abdallah spoke glowingly of his family as dozens of community members came to the destroyed fence on Bennington Road to lay flowers and hang crucifixes. Many were distraught and in tears.
‘‘My name is Daniel Abdallah, I have a wife Leila and six beautiful children I’ve been blessed with. Yesterday, I lost three of my children,’’ he said through tears.
‘‘I’m numb, 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’ve lost three kids.’’
Supported by friends, Abdallah told reporters about his three children who died.
‘‘Antony is 13, very handsome boy. He loved basketball. He woke up that morning and said, ‘We’re going to play this game for Kobe (Bryant)’.
‘‘Angelina, she was my MLH, my little helper. Anything I needed, she had my back.
‘‘Sienna, she was my diva, my little actress.
‘‘They’ve gone to place.’’
Another child – related to the family – was also killed.
‘‘We’re all related. They were all coming over to get babysat. I told them to go for a little walk, to stay together, you guys should be OK. Give them a little bit of independence. This is one in a million. They were just walking on the footpath,’’ he said.
Davidson who struck and killed the four children had been drinking all day at a party, police claim.
He is in custody at Castle Hill police station and will face Parramatta Bail Court charged with more than 20 offences, including manslaughter, dangerous driving under the influence of occasioning death and high-range drink driving.
A fifth child was taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a critical condition.
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Police said Davidson was driving the 4WD down Bettington Road just before 8pm on Saturday night, when he allegedly struck the group of children. One child was riding a bike.
‘‘The driver of the 4WD was subjected to a roadside breath test and returned a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Castle Hill police station for a breath analysis,’’ police said in a statement.
Officers from The Hills Police
Area Command established a crime scene, which will be examined by specialist police from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit.
Councillor for the Epping Ward of the City of Parramatta, Donna Davis, expressed her shock on Facebook, describing it as ‘‘horrific’’ and ‘‘senseless’’.
‘‘My heart goes out to those involved, their loved ones, friends and first responders,’’ she said.
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.
– Nine