A WOMAN who cradled a five-year-old boy on the road after he was fatally struck by a car at Kingsgrove said she hoped safety improvements would be made to avoid a similar tragedy.
Monique Cramond lives on the corner of Vivienne Street and Kingsgrove Road where Kevin Quintal was struck by a black Audi 4WD on his way to kindergarten on Tuesday, December 11.
Police said they could not speculate who was at fault or whether Kevin had run ahead of his mother Marilyn who was walking with his younger siblings.
A 42-year-old Kingsgrove mother of two who was driving the Audi was taken to St George Hospital suffering shock.
Ms Cramond said she ran from her house after hearing screams and tried to keep the Kingsgrove Public pupil in a recovery position until paramedics arrived.
She sat on her fence weeping with a group of Kingsgrove residents who laid flowers, stuffed animals and notes at the intersection on Wednesday morning.
‘‘It was just shocking,’’ Ms Cramond said. ‘‘I just sat with the boy and I just tried to comfort him.
‘‘The poor driver was in complete shock — she was just so upset.’’
Kevin’s godfather Angelo De Felice said the boy’s parents Victor and Marilyn Quintal were in total shock and finding it hard to speak.
‘‘His poor mother Marilyn, she was just holding him in hospital,’’ Mr De Felice said.
‘‘She was still holding the clothes when she got home — Kevin’s clothes.’’
He said Kevin’s hand-written Christmas cards for his classmates and his Bob the Builder backpack were found in a pram left on the footpath.
‘‘This is so painful. Kevin was just such a beautiful boy.’’
The primary school pupil had walked about 400 metres from his Northcott Avenue house and was 300 metres from his school when the accident happened.
NSW Police Crash Investigation Unit commander Mark Cook said it was an awful tragedy so close to Christmas.
‘‘This is a tragic incident that has not only affected a family who lost a young by but I am advised that the driver is absolutely distraught,’’ Inspector Cook said. ‘‘It is too early to speculate, we need to talk to all parties involved and some are in such shock we haven’t had the chance to speak to them yet.’’
Hurstville Police Chief Superintendent Shepherd said it would not help for people to speculate about what happened .
‘‘We need to remain calm and allow police to conduct their investigation to determine exactly what happened,’’ he said.
SAFETY CONCERNS
PARENTS gathered in teary groups outside Kingsgrove Public School the day after a five year old boy was killed on his way to school.
Despite not knowing exactly what happened leading up to the death of kindergarten pupil Kevin Quintal, several parents told the Leader something had to be done to improve safety in the area.
There are three school campuses flanking Kingsgrove Road, with the primary school divided into two grounds on either side of the busy road.
A Roads and Maritime Services spokeswoman said there were eight reported crashes involving pedestrians over the 1.8 kilometre length of Kingsgrove Road between Stoney Creek Road and Homer Street, from 2007 to 2011.
During same five year period, there were no reported accidents involving pedestrians at the intersection of Kingsgrove Road and Vivienne Street.
Kevin’s godfather Angelo De Felice said drivers needed to concentrate when they are in school zones.
‘‘People need to slow down, stop using their phones and concentrate when they are driving,’’ Angelo De Felice said.
Nicole Marsenic lives in the house closest to where Kevin was killed and said speed zones in the side streets off Kingsgrove Road should be brought down to 40km/h.
Bexley mother-of-three Eva Hamze said the side streets of Kingsgrove Road were packed with people rushing to drop kids off every day.
‘‘I think there should be more supervision at the lights [near Stoney Creek Road] because they don’t have a teacher there in the mornings.’’
Another mother who laid flowers at the intersection said a lot of parents wanted speed limits reduced.
‘‘A lot of parents think Kingsgrove Road should be 40km/h,’’ she said.
TRIBUTES TO KEVIN
PARENTS, pupils and Kingsgrove residents in mourning tied flowers, cards and stuffed animals to the power pole where five-year-old Kevin Quintal was hit by a car and died.
One hand-written note penned in blue said: ‘‘Dear Kevin. If you were not ded [sic] I would play with you. I also miss you a lot and wish I could make you alive.’’
Another note in texta read: ‘‘Sweet kevin you have touched everyone’s heart. RIP sweet child.’’
Monique Cramond, who tried to help the Kingsgrove Public pupil when he was lying on the road, said the tragedy had affected everyone in Kingsgrove with children: ‘‘It just shows how you can take your life for granted.’’
Do you think there should be safety improvements made to Kingsgrove Road? Leave a tribute to Kevin or a message for his family below the story.