The families of five teenagers killed in a car crash south-west of Sydney sobbed as they told a court they will never be the same after the tragedy, which doomed them to a lifetime of devastation and grief, as the man responsible apologised for the first time.
Tyrell Edwards, 20, was behind the wheel of his mother’s Nissan Navara on the evening of September 6, 2022, when he lost control and crashed into a tree at Buxton while driving at about 117km/h in a 60km/h zone.
Gabby McLennan’s mother holds a photo of her daughter as she walks into court.Credit: Nick Moir
His five passengers – Tyrese Bechard, 15, Antonio Desisto, 16, Lily Van de Putte, 14, Gabriella McLennan, 15, and 14-year-old Summer Williams – were killed when the ute hit a second tree and was ripped in half.
Today, their families held photos of the Picton High School students and wore memorial shirts as they walked into Campbelltown District Court to read victim impact statements detailing their grief.
Some fought back tears, wiping their eyes with a tissue, while others shook and sobbed as they told the court about receiving early morning phone calls from relatives, rushing to the crash scene, or having police knock on their door.
Read the full story by NSW court reporter Georgina Mitchell here.