April 9, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — A tragic accident in Wyndham Vale, Australia, which involve a South Sudanese mother and her children has claimed three lives, two twins and younger brother, leaving their elder sister and the mother in critical conditions.
The twins, a boy and a girl, were identified as four-year-old Madit and his twin sister, Anger.
The twins and their one-year-old brother, Bol, died after a 2005 Toyota Kluger 4WD plunged into Lake Gladman, off Manor Lake Boulevard in Wyndham Vale at around 3:40pm on Wednesday.
Another child, identified as five-year-old Aluel, an older sister, remained in a critical condition at Royal Children’s hospital.
The 35-year-old mother of seven, Akon Emanuel Guode, who drove the car, has been discharged from the hospital on Thursday, however, she remains in police custody to help the police in investigating the tragic accident that has devastated her family.
Akon migrated to Australia with her older children in 2008. Her husband, identified as Tito, is believed to have died in Sudan.
Police Investigation
According to the Victorian police, the blue 4WD was traveling towards Pedder Street and Minindee Road before the car ploughed through 20 meters of scrubs leading to the lake.
“It’s believed the grey 2005 Toyota Kluger 4WD was traveling south towards Pedder St and Minindee Rd when the incident occurred,” The Victoria Police spokeswoman Belle Nolan told Herald Sun media.
The police is calling on the South Sudanese community and witnesses to come forward to share information with the police to identify what might have caused the incident.
“Police particularly wish to speak to anyone who saw the car between 3.30pm and 3.45pm.” Ms. Nolan said.
“We need to understand what led to this, we need to understand what was happening in their lives,” Superintendent Stuart Bateson said.
The police will look into family history, however, they will first determine the speed of the car to see if charges could be made against the mother.
“Hopefully this will lead to a greater understanding of what led to this incident. We appeal especially to the Sudanese [South] community who might know what was happening in this family’s life, what their movements were before this tragedy.” Superintendent Stuart Bateson said.
“In a situation like this the seriousness of what’s happened here today, we always start off with getting the best investigators involved,” Supt Bateson added.
According to Herald Sun’s report, assessing the car’s speed was the focus today. It was “way too” early to say if the mother could face charges.
Community Support and Tributes
The community and immediate family, who have turned out in large number with flowers and toys, have shown care and support to the aggrieved family.
Martha Mayola, a mother whose children attend school at Manor Lakes College with some of children from the family involved thanks the people of Australia and Wyndham Vale for the support.
“I say thank you for Australia and the people here in Wyndham Vale” She said.
“They really support us. Today we see a lot of flowers here. Thank you for your support.” Mayola added.
“We are really sad because we lost our children. These children, they walk to school with my children. We don’t know why the car go through the water. But when you find out what has happened we need big support in our community. So this will not happen again.” she continued.
The devastated father of the four little children involved in the fatal accident, Joseph Manyang, was in tears when he visited the scene yesterday.
A 16-year-old Amani Alier, Mr Manyang’s niece, who was interviewed by Herald Sun said Mr. Manyang couldn’t stop crying.
“He’s shattered, he couldn’t stop crying, his nose was bleeding,” the teenager said.
“He just dropped when he saw a picture of his son on the wall.
“It’s so hard for him to deal with. He loved those kids.”
Other family members such as Missy Wiw, a sister-in-law of the children, and Maciek Nek, a family member said the incident was “just devastating”.
“They’re (the children) in a better place now,” Missy Wiw said.
“We’re trying to find out how she lost control of the car and what really happened,” Ms Wiw added.
“It’s a big loss to us. It’s a big loss to that whole community of Australia.” Mr. Nek said.
“She came down here to have a better life,” he added
9 comments
Condolence to Mother of this children and father of these children. It is a big blow when lossing twins and their younger brother Bol. Let their soul rest in Peace
My sincere condolences to the family. May the Lord rest their soul in eternal peace!
RIP and may God put them in a good place. They are innocent and it was a great lost to their family and to South Sudan at large.
Oh dear MEDIA,i know what is that Breaking news about.
Toyota is #1 in cases of sudden unintended acceleration and FORD is #2. The current unintended acceleration plaguing newer vehicles is the electronically-induced type. The engine throttle control systems depend on computer software to command them. Sometimes glitches occur…like in some of your other electronic devices…which can cause the command to be different than what you desire. The evidence of the glitch is often undetectable after the vehicle is restarted. Unfortunately, the EDR (black box) is not always accurate as shown by expert Dr. Antony Anderson in his analysis of a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The EDR results indicated the driver was not braking when she was doing so. The EDR results are inconsistent.
The key to avoiding a horrific crash during a SUA event is whether or not the vehicle has an effective fail-safe in the event a glitch occurs. If it does not, as in the case of the glitch-prone Toyota ETCS-i, then the vehicle may become a runaway with an ineffective means to stop it. Unfortunately, the safety standards aren’t as strict in automobiles as they are in airplanes. Some manufacturers have more effective fail-safes than others. In the case of Toyota, an embedded software expert, Michael Barr (see Oklahoma Bookout vs. Toyota court case involving a 2005 Camry) found that an electronic glitch could induce a SUA event. Another expert, Dr. Henning Leidecker, found that a SUA event could also be triggered by “tin whisker” formation, particularly in 2002-2006 Toyota Camry vehicles.
SUA events have been DEADLY for vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians and people in storefronts, buildings, and even homes. The numbers of such crashes are ever-increasing with the advent of the very complex ELECTRONIC throttle control systems.
With the increase in such serious vehicle crashes, there is a concerted effort to show driver “pedal misapplication” or a “medical condition” or some other reason for the incident…anything other than a vehicle defect. Investigators aren’t scrutinizing the buggy electronic throttle control software or other conditions that can elicit a terrifying sudden unintended acceleration incident. They usually just examine the mechanical causes which tend to be just red herrings in these cases. Investigators simply don’t have the expertise to find such electronic glitches. In fact, the staff at the NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, do not have this very specialized training!
Think of it…the next step in electronically-controlled vehicles seems to be so-called “self-driving cars.” Do YOU want to be in a such a vehicle when there is no evidence that strict safety standards, particularly in the throttle control system’s software, have been adhered to? Will you just BLINDLY trust the automaker (criminally-investigated and nearly-prosecuted Toyota and soon-to-be GM and others?) to come through for you and your family’s safety on its own?
A recently published Huffington Post article by Jonathan Handel,
How Do We Know Driverless Cars Are Safe? Google Says ‘Trust Us’
Posted: 07/01/2014 7:23 pm EDT Updated: 07/02/2014 1:48 pm EDT speaks to these very issues and poses tough questions about Google’s “driverless” vehicles. Educate yourself carefully before you put your faith in automakers who have knowingly lied to their customers and the government for decades. Study the issue of vehicle electronic sudden unintended acceleration and ask WHY we aren’t seeing it addressed publicly. WHY is blame placed on the driver with little more than speculation about which pedal was used or with little more than an assumption on medical condition. This is being done *even when the drivers steadfastly cite a VEHICLE PROBLEM as the cause of the crash. Absence of proof is not proof of absence of a serious ELECTRONIC computer glitch or other electronically-caused SUA.
You are very Smart,SMART four 4 and that might be me.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences! I can’t imagine the pain you are now experiencing! However, I do know that these crashes awe at an epidemic pace and it’s NOT related to age, gender, medical condition, etc. It’s related to a DEFECT in the electronic throttle control system software most likely. For some reason, someone is deleting my comment to you. I guess they don’t want your family to suspect that a Toyota Kluger DEFECT is involved! It is most likely though! See my tweets on Twitter @charleneblake. I have a blog where I post about Toyota sudden unintended acceleration. I also have a community Facebook page on this problem.
PRESERVE THE EVIDENCE of this vehicle. A good product liability attorney can help with this. Do NOT allow Toyota access to the vehicle without videotaping/close monitoring! It will cherry-pick data from the EDR to suit its own agenda. It will say that the driver was not braking when she obviously was to the best of her ability! Just know that experts have found the Toyota EDR to be inconsistent and inaccurate (see Dr. Antony Anderson in UK).
You need to grieve, but make sure someone does this as soon as possible. The automaker needs to face the music in this ever-increasing problem! There are many who can help you! Research Toyota unintended acceleration! The driver of the vehicle will need to do the same! Join forces to EXPOSE this serious problem!
Charlene McCarthy Blake
It is a tragedy for entire South Sudan and for the family who lost their love one please accept my condolences and may God almighty keep their soul.
Son of Bentiu
Police felt no sympathy when a man drove into a lake and killed his three children on account of a coughing fit. I think the Police are doing all they can to blame the car and not mum.