Monterey crash: Witness relives horror crash that claimed the lives of two boys, 10 and nine – and reveals how it was always going to happen
A young mother has relived the nightmare when a car crashed into a tree in front of her house, killing two boys despite the desperate struggles of the locals to save them.
Brothers Xavier, 10, and Peter Abreu, nine, died when the Subaru WRX they were in crashed into a tree Friday night on the Grand Parade in Monterey in southern Sydney.
Their father, Sam Abreu, is said to live with his new partner less than 1km from the crash site, further down the Grand Parade towards Brighton-Le-Sands.
Miraculously, the boys’ nine-year-old nephew escaped with minor injuries, despite being in the front passenger seat as the car wrapped around the log.
Her father, Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, has now been charged with two counts of dangerous driving resulting in death and one count of causing bodily harm by misconduct.
Mother-of-one Shaima Bakr, 27, told Daily Mail Australia how she and her husband were home when they suddenly heard the screeching of brakes and screeching of tires at 9.50pm.
Then she heard the sickening thud of the car crashing into the tree, the impact catapulting the engine from its twisted chassis and sending shards of windshield flying into nearby gardens.
Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, reportedly lost control of his Subaru WRX and hit a tree, killing his cousins and injuring his daughter. He was charged with two counts of dangerous driving resulting in death, and one count of causing bodily harm by misconduct
Brothers Xavier and Peter Abreu, ages 10 and 9, died at 9:50 p.m. Friday after the car they were driving crashed into a tree on the Grand Parade in Monterey.
“My husband ran out and saw how damaged the car was – it was so twisted they couldn’t even get the back doors open to get in to the little boys,” said Ms Bakr.
“He could only see one and then said he didn’t think the kid would make it.
Saliva came out of his mouth and he didn’t seem to respond. It was horrible.’
They initially thought it was a woman driving, due to the anguished screams and sobs of the little girl who survived.
“I was surprised she did so well during the crash – she was in the passenger seat,” she said. “They opened the door and quickly got her out.
“Someone brought her in to calm her down and get her out of harm’s way.
The driver got out of his own car and pulled over. He said nothing. He knew something very bad had happened.
“They managed to get one of the boys out and the police arrived and immediately started CPR. We didn’t even see the second boy.
“They put up screens around the scene of the accident, but you could still see the police pumping against the little one’s chest. It was just awful.’
The boys, who were in the back seat, were freed from the wreckage and rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, where they died shortly afterwards.
The girl, who was in the front passenger seat, was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Brito was taken to St. George Hospital under police guard and remained there Sunday.
The battered tree bark still bears the scars of the horror crash, but is now adorned with flowers and soft toys brought to the scene by well-wishers.
The impact catapulted the engine from the twisted chassis and shards of the windshield flew into nearby neighbors’ gardens.
The extent of the carnage was still visible on the tree on Saturday, with a large piece of bark missing, gouge marks etched into the trunk and shards of glass embedded in the wood.
Meanwhile, community members have flocked to the scene of the crash to pay their respects to the brothers who lost their lives
Ms Bakr said the tragedy was an accident waiting to happen after locals spent years campaigning for more police presence in the area.
They said the area becomes a race track on weekend nights, with cars screeching back and forth on the long stretch of straight coast road.
They also converge in the parking lot across from the crash site, where the hoons perform donuts and burnouts late into the night.
She said police had tried to step up undercover patrols in the area, but she said it was always at the wrong time of day.
“On weekdays, the police come here during the day when there’s too much traffic for the hoons,” she said.
“They come here late on weekend nights, when there are very few other cars on the street, so they can street race and show off.”
She now wants speed cameras installed on the street to calm traffic and slow down or catch motorists in the act.
“With a speed camera, at least they have their license plate and then they can do something about it,” she said.
Now she lives in fear of another recurrence.
“Every time I hear someone speeding, I get scared,” she admitted. “I just think, ‘Is there another tragedy coming?’
“I don’t even like to think about it. It was so traumatic for everyone involved – and terrible for those two poor little boys.”
The two boys were in the back of the car when it crashed into a tree. Xavier is pictured on the left, while Peter is pictured on the right
Police attempted to rescue the boys at the scene before they were rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, where they died shortly afterwards.
The boys’ stepmother, Jivonne Garrido, has now set up a fundraiser to help support the grieving family.
“The beautiful boys lost their lives in tragic circumstances, but their memories will live on forever with the family,” she wrote in a message to GoFundMe on Sunday.
The boys are survived by their father Samuel, mother Olimpia Aliferis, stepmother Jivonne and older brothers Alex and Jacob.
Police allege in court documents that Brito was driving in a “manner dangerous to another person” at the time of the collision.
They claim that Brito was speeding when he lost control of the vehicle and went the wrong way and crashed into the tree at the intersection of The Grand Parade and Culver Street.
Police are still trying to track down a mysterious gray sedan (pictured) that was speeding when the accident happened
Shocked and devastated Sydneysiders stood dejectedly contemplating the tragedy
He was due to appear in court on Sunday via a hospital bedside hearing, but the case was postponed after his lawyer Fahim Arya told the court they were not ready to proceed, while Brito was still recovering from serious injuries sustained at the crash.
Away from court, Mr Arya told reporters his client has had a ‘limited conversation’ with the mother of the two boys.
Mr Arya said the mother was “distraught and saddened” but “still supports and assists him.”
He added that Brito was “fresh out of surgery” and on medication as he began his long road to recovery.
“I don’t know if he knows that the two little ones lost their lives,” Arya said.