Time to heal

THERE probably wasn’t a person in Singleton who didn’t go to bed with a tear in their eyes on Monday night following a story too dreadful for this beautiful town to comprehend.

The death of nine-year-old Harry Dunn sent shockwaves through the town.

There have been moments of stunned  silence since the community came to terms with being thrust into  national media headlines for the most incomprehensible of reasons.

Harry died at the scene of a crash at the Kelso and Church street intersection when his school bus and a prime mover collided on Monday afternoon.

His brother Luke, 7, and another little boy were critically injured.

Some prayers have been answered in that both are now reported to be in stable conditions.

Five other children on the bus were transported to hospital, treated and allowed to go home in the arms of their shaking parents.

These children, thankfully not severely injured physically, have emotional injury that no child should have to bear.

A 54-year-old bus driver, a man loved by students on his route and a man so gentle that you cannot imagine his grief, is dealing with cuts and bruises and a breaking heart.

Then there is the truck driver, at just 34 years of age whose first experience of Singleton was a crash that will stay with him for a lifetime.

Singleton ambulance station officer Mick Smalley praised the actions of residents, teachers and parents who came to the aid of the children.

There is no doubt it was chaotic and now is not the time to remind people of those scenes.

Now is the time to start healing.

Now is the time to understand and respect what Sarah and Dean Dunn, their son Luke and daughter, Georgia, Harry’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who loved him dearly are going through.

It is not going to be easy for anyone affected by what has happened.

But it is important to care for each other and understand the sadness that affects us all.