A devastated mother has issued a heartfelt plea to young offenders after her 14-year-old son was killed in a stolen vehicle crash in Victoria. Chereeta Wightman is desperate that the death of her son Connroy does not go in vain, as her two young nephews face a critical battle for survival in hospital.
The Fatal Crash
Eighteen-year-old Dougie Sullivan, his younger brother Deondre Hayes, 14, and their cousin Connroy Clark, 14, were inside a stolen Toyota Hilux that crashed on the Calder Highway in regional Victoria on Saturday. Police allege the vehicle was stolen from a hotel in Mildura at 11:30 pm on Friday night. Seven hours later, at 6:30 am on Saturday, it was allegedly involved in a fuel drive-off. Then just before 10 am, more than 300 kilometres away, the ute veered off the road and struck a tree. Dougie and Deondre were critically injured, while Connroy died at the scene.
Mother's Grief and Plea
Describing her son as fun-loving, outgoing, good-spirited and respectful, Wightman said Connroy had previous encounters with the law. 'We've tried so hard to keep Connroy on a straight and narrow and to keep him out of trouble,' she said. The family is now hoping their story serves as a warning to other troubled teens. 'Our boys, they are loving boys. Yeah, they made the wrong choice, but people shouldn't go judging them,' the boys' aunt, Maryanne Frost, said. 'It just takes one little mistake. Then your family's suffering, and then we've got to go through the pain of burying yous.'
Critical Injuries
Dougie has undergone surgery at The Alfred Hospital, losing the lower part of his right leg, with doctors needing to decide if further amputation is necessary. He also has broken ribs and a bleed on the brain. His 14-year-old brother is in the ICU at the Royal Children's Hospital, with doctors extremely concerned about a bleed and swelling on his brain. The family has set up a fundraiser as they face a long road to recovery.
Wightman emphasised the weight of the consequences, especially for the driver. 'At the end of the day, he's got to live with what he's done, you know. I feel for him. I feel for both the boys, all of them, and my son,' she said.
