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'He is going to go through hell': Father of teen killed in crash 'doesn't hold any grudges' against driver

John Van de Putte's 14-year-old daughter Lily was among the five teens killed in the crash in Buxton
PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2022
Lily Van de Putte with her father John Van de Putte (Facebook/John Van de Putte)
Lily Van de Putte with her father John Van de Putte (Facebook/John Van de Putte)

BUXTON, SYDNEY: The horrific car crash that killed five children on Tuesday, September 6 in Sydney has shaken up the entire country. Now, the father of one of the victims says that he "doesn't hold any grudges" against the 18-year-old driver, Tyrell Edwards, who had been taken into police custody on Wednesday, September 7. 

In an interview with ABC, John Van de Putte, the father of victim Lily Van de Putte, was heard saying, "We don't hold any grudges against the driver because he is going to go through hell." Lily was in year 9 of high school. The other victims, Antonio Desisto, Summer Williams, Tyrese Bechard and Gabriella McLennan, were aged between years 9 and 11 at Picton High School. 

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The victims of the crash were Lily Van de Putte (Left), Gabriella McLennan (Top left), Tyrese Bechard (Bottom left),Summer Williams (Top right) Antonio Desisto (Bottom right), and (ABC/supplied)
The victims of the crash were Lily Van de Putte (Left), Gabriella McLennan (Top left), Tyrese Bechard (Bottom left),Summer Williams (Top right) Antonio Desisto (Bottom right), and (ABC/supplied)

The driver, 18-year-old Edwards, suffered injuries during the crash which were non-life-threatening. He was taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment, following which he was arrested the next day. All five teenagers lost their lives in the fiery car crash when a Nissan Navara Ute collided against a tree on East Parade in Buxton, near Picton. The accident occurred a little before 8 pm on Tuesday. Friends and family of the victims have been visiting the scene to lay out flowers in homage to the lives lost. 

To add to the heartbreak of an already harrowing experience, Sky News revealed that Van de Putte's 14-year-old daughter, Lily had sent him a text hours before her death. She had written, "Dad, can I go out tonight." He, however, missed the message as he had been undergoing surgery. Once out of the operating room, he checked his phone and read the message. But, by then, it was already too late. Van de Putte also added that he would not have permitted his 14-year-old to go out with her friends at night since she had school the next day. "The answer would have been no. It was a school night but I never got the text," he said

Additionally, another parent, Exaven Desisto, has spoken up. The father of  deceased Antonio Desisto has voiced out his agony on losing a young son, adding that the 18-year-old driver should be held responsible for his actions. In a video on The Chronicle, Desisto can be heard saying, "I believe he should be sentenced and I know we've all done wrong things but if this goes on and just gets let off, nothing will change. People need to be held accountable for their actions. It's not going to bring back the lives of the kids but at least they'll see there's someone behind bars or whatever. But I have to go see my son in a f*****g morgue."

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