The bereaved sister of a schoolboy killed by an old motorist wishes to understand why the woman was even permitted behind the wheel.
Calvin Wijeweera was going home from school with two friends in Carlingford, in Sydney’s north-west, at 11.20 a.m. on Thursday when a vehicle drove off the road and struck them.
A 90-year-old woman from Epping was the driver of the silver Mitsubishi that hit Calvin, 17, and pinned him beneath a mechanic’s vehicle.
Calvin’s elder sister, Ovindi Wijeweera, who was in Singapore at the time of the tragedy, has now questioned why there were no limitations preventing the driver from driving given her age.
She also said that during the flight back to Australia, her sadness caused her to desperately hope that the tragedy had been a horrible dream from which she would soon awaken.
Drivers over the age of 75 in New South Wales are mandated to undergo a medical examination every year in order to maintain their license.
They must pass an ‘on-road’ driving exam every two years beyond the age of 85.
The woman had a leg injury in the incident and was brought to Westmead Hospital for obligatory testing, the results of which will not be available for many weeks.
Calvin’s 17-year-old classmate was brought to Westmead Hospital with a head injury, while a third kid managed to get out of the path and was unharmed.
Ms Wijeweera expressed hope that she will ‘wake up’ from her current nightmare.
This was their home, and she just can’t believe he’s gone and he’s not coming back, she added.
On the journey back to Sydney, all she could think was, she is going to wake up from this nightmare.’
She was still ‘very proud’ of her brother, who, despite his early age, had a definite ambition of becoming an engineer.
Social media users paid respect to the young pupil, whose family moved to Australia from Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2008.
NSW Detective Inspector Jason Hogan stated that the driver’s test results would take many weeks and that she had yet to be interrogated.
Mr. Hogan acknowledged that the inquiry is still underway and that it would look into numerous topics such as speeding and if the woman had a medical episode while driving.
For first responders, Det. Insp. Hogan regarded the deadly collision as terrifying.
Mr. Hogan said that it was really upsetting for the initial responding cops and the paramedics. It’s terrifying when they show up to circumstances like that. It’s upsetting for the neighborhood, the school, and the family. Sadly, a very, very painful scenario, and at this time of year, it will be extremely damaging to the boy’s family and friends.
Following Calvin’s untimely death, the NSW Department of Education has said that counselling is being provided to pupils and families.
A representative for Carlingford High School stated, they are very sorry for the loss of a Carlingford High School student. At this tragic moment, their thoughts are with the student’s family, friends, and the whole school community. The school communicates with the family. Students and staff are receiving well-being assistance, with more counselors being sent to the school today and tomorrow.
