A Melbourne father has called for stronger pedestrian protections and education scholarships in his son’s name after the 16-year-old was struck and killed while walking home from school.
Antony Francis Antonysamy said he “still cannot fathom his loss” after Chris was hit on Pound Road on February 13, just minutes from home. “Every parent’s worst nightmare is to see your son or daughter not return home in one piece but in a body bag,” he wrote.
Chris had been returning from his athletics carnival at Mazenod College when the collision occurred. According to his parents’ account, the car crossed from the left lane, moved across double lanes, mounted the footpath and struck him before hitting a tree.
“He was just 3 minutes away from home,” Antony said. “Chris was an ordinary teenager milling about his work but completed all his work in an extraordinary organised way.”
His father described him as disciplined and deeply committed to his studies. “Chris was a high achiever at school, extraordinarily organised – he aced his studies,” he said. “One of the last things he asked for was more flash cards to learn the definitions. He spent at least 4 hours behind his desk every day – being a school teacher myself, I commended Chris for the tremendous efforts which even I couldn’t emulate!”
Antony said he had often reminded his son that effort mattered more than results. “I always told him that he will really shine in his life as it’s not the results but the efforts that define him.” He added that even during seven days on ventilator support, the family believed Chris would fight. “And that was another reason, why Chris even though on ventilator support for 7 days, was given every chance to return to us, because we know he will make every effort with the Divine mercy of Jesus and the protection of Mother Mary (Chris never once failed to recite the Rosary since the time he could speak, up until his accident).”
His parents, Antony and Agal, and his sister Auxilia have begun raising funds to support pedestrian safety and educational initiatives in his memory. “With the most shattered and broken hearts, Chris’s parents Agal and I would like to raise some funds to support pedestrian safety and education needs as we are still waiting for the Coroners to release Chris to our final care and farewell,” Antony wrote.
“I am writing this appeal in front of my beautiful, beautiful boy who is smiling at me from only the photo. He was alive and active barely 10 days ago.”
The family believes additional safety infrastructure could have made a difference. “If only there had been metal barriers near the footpath of Pound Road where Chris was walking, Chris would have stayed alive. How many more innocent lives should be sacrificed before something could be done about this?” Antony asked. “While there are bits and pieces of metal barriers in that road, why not have them for the unprotected sections of the road as well?”
He said the funds would support a Pedestrian Safety Awareness Campaign and advocacy with councils and VicRoads to make pedestrian safety a priority. “Any funds raised in this campaign will go towards that. I am also grateful to someone who has started a change.org petition in this regard to get the community behind this cause.”
Alongside road safety measures, the family plans to establish scholarships in Chris’s name. “Chris was such an inspiration and we would like Chris’s legacy to continue by creating Scholarships in his name – we want to provide bundles of flash cards or such education supplies to a number of students for free to learn,” Antony wrote. “If there is sufficient funding, we would establish an endowment fund in his name to provide 100% scholarship for a student or more for their entire year 11 school fees or for their educational needs.”
He said every contribution would be directed to those aims. “We as a family will ensure that every dollar raised will be purely used for these twin purposes of raising pedestrian safety and education needs.”
Antony described his son as kind and faithful. “He had an infectious smile and was a kind soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly, literally.” He added, “He was very faithful to God and we take consolation that he is now in thr company of saints.”
The loss has left the family confronting milestones that will not come. “But Chris is now gone – our one and only son!” Antony wrote. “To his mum, he was the ‘most perfect son who would go on a limb to do everything she asked him to.’ To his sister, he was the ‘best inbuilt friend for life.’ To me, he was always my baby boy and I will not have the fortune of him seeing hit milestones, graduating, may be having a girlfriend, marrying, having children of his own, or deciding to become a Catholic priest and wanting to give back to this beautiful society. Unfortunately, he was taken soon and his life snuffed out in a moment of madness.”
The family has proposed that February 20 be recognised as “Pedestrian Safety Day” and said details of Chris’s funeral would be shared with the community. “No parent should ever plan their child’s funeral. But we are in that worst situation,” Antony wrote. The service will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians church, where Chris served as an altar server. The family said it would be a chance to celebrate his life “one LAST time.”
Antony closed his message with a hope that the tragedy would lead to change. “Such a loss. Hope no more pedestrian lives will be lost any more to senseless, careless driving.”
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