The heartbroken family of two boys who died in a horrific car accident have made an impassioned plea for their loved ones to slow down on the roads.
The brothers, aged nine and 10, were killed when Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, lost control of his Subaru Impreza sedan and crashed into a tree in Monterey, south Sydney, on Friday night.
A nine-year-old girl who was in the passenger seat, the driver’s daughter, was heard “screaming for her father” as she was pulled from the vehicle by witnesses. She was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Police will claim that Brito was speeding and are investigating whether the vehicle was drag racing at the time of the accident.
As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, the boys’ relatives shared a message with their other relatives on Saturday imploring them to drive carefully.
“It’s not worth your life or anyone else’s just to get from point A to point B,” they said.
“Unfortunately he (the father) lost his boys last night, 9 and 12. If anyone wants to text or call him in the morning. You’ll probably see in the papers that it happened four blocks from our house… be safe, people.
‘
Two young boys were killed in south Sydney on Friday night after the car they were both traveling in crashed into a tree
Community members visited the crash site on Saturday during The Grand Parade
Shocked and devastated Sydneysiders stood dejectedly contemplating the tragedy
Brito was driving along the Grand Parade with the two boys and nine-year-old girl when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle and drove onto the wrong side of the road.
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.
Britto, from Beverly Hills, was taken to St George Hospital under police guard, where he was addressed by officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit on Saturday afternoon.
He was charged with two counts of dangerous driving resulting in death, and one count of causing bodily harm by misconduct. He will appear in court on Sunday via a hospital bedside hearing.
Meanwhile, community members flocked to the scene of the crash on Saturday to pay their respects to the two boys who lost their lives.
A makeshift memorial has been erected at the base of the tree the car crashed into, with mourners leaving flowers and teddy bears.
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.
The impact of the crash was so severe that the Subaru Impreza’s engine was thrown from the hood.
Two blue teddy bears and several bouquets were left at the tree in honor of the two young boys who died
The force of the impact tore the outer layer of wood from the base of the tree as the car collapsed around it
Saturday morning, shards of glass could be seen embedded in the tree
Residents recall the “deafening” sound of the crash, which shook their homes and windows.
Some ran out to pull the injured occupants out of the vehicle.
The nine-year-old girl “screamed for her father” as emergency services tried to rescue her young cousins.
“She screamed ‘get me out,’ one man told Nine News.
“We tried to open the other doors, but we couldn’t.”
Residents are still haunted by the harrowing scenes.
“We went to the right side of the car and were able to get the little girl out,” Hadi Sawan told the Saturday Telegraph.
‘On the other hand, that didn’t work, it was stuck due to the impact.
Out of respect for the families, I don’t even want to explain what I saw.’
Residents and other motorists ran to the wreckage after the car crashed into the tree
“It’s heartbreaking… but I was also scared: if it weren’t for the tree, the car would have ended up with me or with the neighbors.”
Shaima Bakr added, “It was actually quite scary to see that.”
“It’s usually upsetting to see it on the news, but seeing it in real life was traumatic. I didn’t want to get close… hear the little girl cry.”
The little girl is in stable condition in hospital and is expected to be questioned by police in the coming days.
Surveillance footage from a neighboring property captured the moment the car overturned and collided sideways with a tree after crossing the median.
Residents rush to the site of the wreck a little later.
Police are investigating whether speed and street racing were factors that contributed to the accident.
They chase a gray sedan that they believe is involved in the incident.
“At this stage, we will be seeking the public’s help to identify a gray sedan that was driving around on runway one around the time of the collision,” said Detective Jason Hogan of the NSW Crash Investigations Unit.
“That will be an important line of inquiry for our crash investigators to determine the speed of the vehicle, and that seems… a contributing factor to that.”
The car crashed into a tree on the Grand Parade in Monterey around 9:50 p.m. Friday
Detectives will investigate whether speeding and street racing were possible factors in the horror accident that killed two boys, ages 9 and 10
“It’s a very nasty crash that killed two innocent young children.”
“We will be in constant contact with all members of the family to ensure their well-being and to make sure they stay informed about the investigation as it unfolds.”
The tragedy has prompted residents to once again worry about “drag racing” along Monterey’s Grand Parade.
The speed limit on that strip is 60 km/h. Residents say they have been campaigning for speed cameras for years.
Anyone with information, dashcam or CCTV is urged to contact the police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.