Two teenage boys who were killed in a crash in western Sydney have been identified, as police renew warnings about the illegal use of trail bikes and e-bikes.
Adrian Lai, 14, and William Drake, 15, died after the motorcycle they were riding collided with the side of a bus on Monday night.
Emergency services were called just after 7.15pm to the Liverpool Parramatta Transitway at Bossley Park, in Sydney.
The two teenagers were treated by paramedics but both died at the scene. The bus driver was not injured and was taken to hospital for mandatory testing. Passengers on board the bus were also uninjured.
Police said they are increasingly concerned about the illegal use of trail bikes and e-bikes, particularly along the transitway.
Superintendent Craig Middleton said officers had been conducting regular patrols and joint operations in the area.
“Certainly, we do have a number of issues around illegal use of the T-way, whether its trail bikes or other vehicles and the police here are very proactive in their patrolling around the T-way,” he said.
“We work very closely with our highway patrol who are very much aware of the illegal use of the T-way.
“We’ve conducted a number of joint operations … and a number of trail bikes and e-bikes have been seized.”
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said he had previously warned authorities that a serious incident could happen.
“We’ve been talking about this for months, and I only wish that the minister had acted when we told her to act because at the moment I feel a rollercoaster of emotions,” he said.
“My heart goes out to the parents of the kids. We know they were doing the wrong thing, and many people would accept that, but they’re kids and it’s our role as a community and as a society to protect people even when they do the wrong thing, especially if they’re kids and they don’t understand.
“I’m hurting. We lost two kids that go to school locally and are part of our community, but I’m also angry at the inaction. It should never have come to this.”
Carbone also said he had been told police resources in western Sydney had been reduced, despite strong community support for a crackdown on teenagers riding petrol and electric bikes illegally.
“The feedback I’m getting is that police resources in Western Sydney are no longer here,” he said.
“They’ve been moved. The government had time to go out and do a blitz in Cronulla, and they got the media to show what they’re doing … stop doing the media stuff and start doing your job.
“Hundreds of bike riders are using this T-way every single day, playing chicken with buses … I just feel like we’ve been really let down especially when we knew about it.”
The comments come after a major e-bike compliance operation across southern and eastern parts of Sydney last week.
NSW Police said further large-scale operations targeting e-bike riders are expected to take place in other areas later this year.
Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage, is being urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Image: 9News
