Sydney schoolgirl's award-winning day ends in tragedy as she and baby brother are killed in horror crash in Cabramatta

Published: 23:33, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 23:58, 17 June 2026 A five-year-old girl had proudly shown her mother an award she received at school just moments before she and her baby brother were killed in a devastating crash in Sydney's south-west. Katherine, five, and her one-year-old brother Harry were killed when a vehicle struck them as they crossed a road with their mother, Sok, at the intersection of Joseph and Gilbert streets in Cabramatta, south-west Sydney, at 3.15pm on Wednesday. Friend Patrick Te has spoken out about the 'split second' in which the mother lost her children. 'Their mother, Sok, was picking up Katherine from school. Katherine, who was in her first year of kindergarten, was excited to go home after just receiving an award,' he said. 'As they were crossing the road together, heading back to the car, an oncoming vehicle suddenly struck both Katherine and the pram where Harry was sitting. 'A mother not only lost a child - she lost both of her children, her only two children. 'Please kiss and hold your kids tight. Cherish every moment, because time with them is never promised.' Katherine and Harry were killed after a vehicle struck the pram their mother, Sok, was pushing home Just moments before tragedy struck, five-year-old Katherine proudly showed her mother the award she had received at school Members of the public rushed to help after the crash, with several motorists overturning the vehicle and others performing CPR in a desperate attempt to save Katherine and Harry  Fairfield City Police Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman said members of the public played a 'phenomenal' role in attempting to save the children. 'The community involved here this afternoon was … I can only say it's phenomenal,' he said. 'We've had a number of motorists that actually stopped, and collectively have moved the vehicle onto its side, tipped the car over, in order to get one of the children from underneath the vehicle. 'Other bystanders have assisted with CPR to assist the children and the children's mother.' Eight men assisted at the scene. Emergency services rushed both children to hospital in a critical condition following the crash, but they tragically died. Their mother was treated at the scene for minor injuries, while the driver, a 56-year-old man, was uninjured. The driver was arrested and taken to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing. Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman praised the 'phenomenal' efforts of bystanders who stopped to help, describing the scene as one of the most confronting incidents police have encountered involving young children Katherine and Harry were their mother's only children. A family friend urged parents to 'cherish every moment' as loved ones grappled with the devastating loss. Acting Supt Calman said the driver was not known to police. The driver of the SUV has been released without charge, with further investigations now underway. 'It's probably one of the most confronting scenes that police have come across involving young children,' he said. One man who lives two houses away from the crash site said he was horrified when he learned what had happened: 'It's horrible, tragic.' A neighbour who regularly walks through the intersection described the tragedy as 'an accident waiting to happen'. 'It's like a racetrack around here,' they said. 'It takes ages to cross the road. You can't see past the trees and parked cars. They need cutting down.' A report on the children's deaths will be prepared for the coroner. Neighbours have described the intersection where Katherine and Harry were killed as 'an accident waiting to happen', claiming speeding vehicles and poor visibility have long been a concern for locals Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. This is a breaking story. More to come   The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.