Dad of boy killed in school crash has message for driver
The family of Jihad Darwiche, one of the eight-year-old boys tragically killed when a car crashed into a school classroom earlier this week, has forgiven the woman behind the wheel.
In an amazing gesture on the day of the boy's funeral, the father and a relative live-streamed a video on Facebook from the funeral car, with Jihad's coffin clearly visible in the rear, on the way to the service at a Lakemba mosque.
Police have charged the driver, Maha Al-Shennag, a widowed mother-of-four, whose own child was in the car at the time, with a series of offences including causing death by dangerous driving.
In the clip posted to Facebook, the father invites the driver to dinner in a hope to talk about the tragedy together.
The father's friend, Ahmas Hraichie, says, 'The father said that all this stuff happening about the threats to this lady and abuse is not from them. No retaliation is coming from the family of the boy.
'They have forgiven. If anything, they want to sit with this lady and talk to her and tell her we forgive you but as you know right now, it is a hard time with the funeral and all the people that are visiting.
'But once it’s over, she is welcome to come and sit with the family to have a meal and to talk about how they can move forward with what’s happened.
'So please brothers and sisters, nobody abuse the school. The school had nothing to do with it. This is the will of the creator. He has ordained this. This was written well before the child was born that this would happen.
'This was an accident. The lady has four children of her own at school. Nothing could have changed anything that day,' he concluded.
Ms Al-Shennag was initially charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
This morning police laid additional charges of dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm and causing actual bodily harm by misconduct. Ms Al-Shennag’s licence has also been suspended.
Two eight-year-old girls and a nine-year-old girl currently remain in Westmead Children’s Hospital. The nine-year-old is in a serious condition.
She has been bailed to appear in Bankstown court on November 29.
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
