A road accident in Pyrmont resulting in the death of a four-year- old girl last week has called into question the high-volume of traffic along Harris St.
On Tuesday, April 24 the toddler, who was accompanied by her mother, strayed from the footpath near Harris and Quarry Streets.
The girl was hit by a Land Rover Discovery at around 11 am then taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital where she died shortly afterwards. NSW Police are still investigating the incident which involved a 41-year-old male driver. Pyrmont resident and mother-of-two, Emma Driver said there are often lots of parents and children in the area since there is a nearby playgroup and daycare centre.
Ms Driver has a two-year-old daughter and an eight-week-old son.
She has lived on the busy artery for about 10 years and lives 200 metres from the site of the accident.
“There are definitely a lot more [parents and children] than 10 years ago,” she said.
“We’ve always been extremely careful because we live on Harris St.”
Local facilities include the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre, Ultimo Community Centre and a City of Sydney Library.
“It’s a popular crossing for people coming from the swimming pool,” she said.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 541 children under the age of four in the Pyrmont-Ultimo area six years ago.
A population forecast report commissioned by the City of Sydney estimated there are 955 children under four years on Harris St today.
The Pyrmont-Ultimo area has 10 child-care facilities in operation.
One early education centre on William Henry St is attended by 59 children daily and services over 90 families.
The corner of the accident is also one city block from the M4 access point at Fig St.
Ms Driver said she has noticed people speeding to make the light and going around corners at high speeds.
“I’ve seen people get confused because there are lots of one-way streets.
Sometimes, I see people unsure of whether they can turn left or right.”
A child-care teacher who works in the area said she sympathised with the mother of the Pyrmont girl.
“The only thing you can do is just make sure to teach your children about road safety at a very young age,” she said.
“With young children and road safety, you can’t not have them right by your side, children have no concept of speed, they don’t comprehend that if they step out on the road they might be hit.”
Neighbours have since decorated the corner of Harris and Quarry Street with bouquets of flowers, teddy bears and posters to express their sympathies.
