Two Young Children Killed After Car Hits Pram in Cabramatta

By The Times of Australia

Two young children have died after a car struck a pram on a busy Cabramatta corner on Wednesday afternoon, leaving witnesses trying to pull a desperate rescue from the wreckage before police sealed off the street.

Emergency services were called to the intersection of Joseph Street and Gilbert Street about 3.15pm on 17 June, after reports of a crash in Sydney’s south-west. NSW Police said officers from Fairfield City Police Area Command arrived to find two children, both aged under five, had been hit while seated in a pram.

Paramedics treated the children at the scene and rushed them to hospital in critical condition. They later died. Police said they had not yet been formally identified.

A 33-year-old woman known to the children was treated at the scene for minor injuries. ABC News reported police believe she was their mother.

The driver, a 56-year-old man, was not injured. Police said he was arrested and taken to hospital for mandatory testing. No charges had been announced by Wednesday evening.

Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman praised members of the public who stopped and tried to help, saying motorists and bystanders had worked together in the first frantic moments after the crash. Guardian Australia reported witnesses helped tip the car onto its side to free one child, while others assisted with CPR.

Police have established a crime scene and the Crash Investigation Unit is helping examine how the crash unfolded. Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether the pram was on the footpath, road or a pedestrian crossing at the time.

The Cumberland Highway was closed southbound between Gilbert Street and Coventry Road as police worked through the scene. A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Anyone with information or footage has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Sources: NSW Police, ABC News, Guardian Australia.