A mother who lost her son, 10, in a horror car crash between a truck and three cars on Sydney’s M5 is still struggling to come to terms with the tragic accident.
Rebecca Harrison, 31, was treated for minor injuries after the four-car pileup in Riverwood about 8.20am on Wednesday, and her 13-year-old daughter Summer was rushed to hospital with fractured ribs and head injuries.
Her son Harley Brandon Dexter, 10, was sitting in the back seat of the family car and died at the scene.
Ms Harrison’s sister told Daily Mail Australia the mother was ‘in a lot of shock’, but had been discharged early to be with her daughter at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Summer is also expected to be released shortly.
The mother of Harley Brandon Dexter (pictured with sister Summer) is ‘in shock’ after losing her son in a horror car crash on Wednesday morning
Rebecca Harrison (pictured) was taken to hospital after the crash on Sydney’s M5, as was her daughter Summer
Truck driver Pishwinder Grewal, 26, is facing an array of charges over the collision and is expected to apply for bail on Friday
Truck driver Pishwinder Grewal, 26, was charged with dangerous and negligent driving causing death and grievous bodily harm and causing bodily harm by misconduct after the crash.
Grewal’s phone was seized by police, who are investigating if he was using it at the time of the collision.
The Indian national’s solicitor, Elias Tabchouri, told media outside Bankstown Local Court his client was ‘obviously devastated’ and the crash was an accident.
‘He did not wake up that morning thinking that would happen, to him or to that family,’ Mr Tabchouri said.
‘Let everyone be assured that this was an accident.’
Grewal is believed to have told police, who have dashcam footage of the incident, he had an issue with the brakes, 9News reported.
He is expected to apply for bail on Friday.
Family are fundraising to help pay for Harley’s funeral and his mother and sister’s recovery
Aerial footage showed the devastation after a truck collided with multiple cars about 8.30am on Wednesday, crushing one completely
Family members are desperately raising money for the funeral of 10-year-old Harley Brandon Dexter, as Ms Harrison is a single mother who will be unable to work as she recovers.
Ms Harrison’s sister, who has asked not to be named, launched a fundraiser for her family, who she said would not be able to afford a funeral for the young boy, on Wednesday.
In just 24 hours, the family have raised nearly $11,000 to help with Harley’s funeral, as well as living and rehabilitation costs.
‘My niece is only like 13, and my sister is a single mum,’ she said at the time. ‘She doesn’t have the money for a funeral right now.’
The sister said Ms Harrison ‘worked her a** off’ to provide for her children, and had played a motherly role in her own life.
‘She’s like nine years older than me. She’s very motherly towards me… this is all I can do – there’s nothing I can say or do to make it better, I can just try to make it easier,’ she said.
Ms Harrison had been making ends meet through work at a car repair centre and had planned to open a cleaning business – things she will not be able to do while recovering from the crash.
‘Even if she recovers, she has to pay rent, food, and bills, while she cant work,’ the sister said.
Harley’s death is all the more tragic for the family, because he was named after his uncle Brandon, who was eight years old when he died after being hit by a car while riding his bike in 2007.
‘Our family has gone through so much s***,’ his aunty said. ‘We’re reliving what happened to Brandon all over again.’
The woman said her niece and nephew were ‘typical’ kids, who enjoyed plush toys and video games, respectively, and had a close sibling bond.
‘Harley was a typical boy, he and Summer were really close,’ she said. ‘They were either best friends or really fighting each other.
‘The last time I saw him, he was at my house and I was trying to build my new couch and he was sugar high on red cordial, just running around.
‘This situation is so f***ed up. It’s just too close to what happened with Brandon.’
Harley died at the scene, while his sister was taken to hospital
Emergency crews were called after a truck collided with three cars travelling east bound, just east of Belmore Road, at Riverwood at 8.20am on Wednesday
All city-bound lanes were closed after the incident on Wednesday morning, bringing the peak-hour rush to a standstill.
Images from the wreckage shows part of a car crushed beneath the truck.
Footage also shows a woman being freed from a black car that had its left rear crushed in the crash.
She can be seen being hauled on to a stretcher by fire crews and paramedics.
Ambulance workers are pictured tending to a female crash victim who had been trapped in one of the cars on Wednesday
Pictured: The crash scene on the M5 on Wednesday morning