By ANEEKA SIMONIS
THE eight-year-old Pakenham boy who captured our hearts after being hit by a car on his way to school last month said it all happened after he offered to walk a friend in his street to school.
Chivalrous youngster Deakin Coe admitted he took a different route to get to Pakenham Consolidated School the morning of the serious crash of Tuesday 6 October as he wanted to accompany his primary school aged neighbour on the walk to her nearby school.
Deakin’s dad Simon Coe laughs now – saying his son is one of the “nice guys” – but his emotion today if far different than what he endured after the shock phone call by police.
“I was driving the twins to kinder and the police called. I was shocked … in disbelief. I didn’t know what to think. They didn’t tell me how severe it was going to be,” he said.
“I got in the car and just drove like a crazy person to the hospital.”
Mr Coe said Deakin, who just moved to the Pakenham area with family a month earlier, takes the same route to school each day.
When he got to the Princes Highway opposite his school, he did not know which direction he normally took to cross with the aid of a lollypop person – instead choosing to cross when he thought he could.
Deakin said he remembers nothing about the crash that put him in an induced coma for a week and then hospitalised for several further weeks.
But today, he is a happy young man who cannot wait to get better.
Having sustained two fractures to the right side of his pelvis, brain trauma, a fractured elbow and neck injuries, Deakin is still in his wheelchair.
But it doesn’t stop him.
He now spends three hours at school each day with friends who have helped raise money for his new scooter, helmet and a bike on the way.
The family have not been given a date as to when Deakin will be able to walk again, but they are hopeful it will soon as the youngster itches to get out to the park with his five-year-old twin sisters.
“He is an outdoors kid. He never used to come home until the street lights were on … he’s always on his bike,” Mr Coe said.
When the Gazette came to photograph Deakin, he had one request – to be photographed with his saviour, Leading Senior Constable Trudy Neylan from Pakenham Police station.
“She saved my life,” he said.
The family understands Leading Sen Const Neylan was one of the first officers on the scene who rushed to Deakin’s aid, following immediate emergency assistance by passer-bys.
Though Leading Sen Const Neylan was not available at the time, Mr Coe said her support in addition to others at Pakenham police station and the community had “overwhelmed” him with their care and compassion.
“I wouldn’t have had the strength to be by Deakin’s side in hospital all the time if it weren’t for the support of the community and he wouldn’t have recovered as quickly if I weren’t there,” he said.
“Every little thing the community has done for us has just blown me away.”
Mr Coe, who has Deakin’s name tattooed on his left forearm, hopes the current speed limits are reviewed outside of Pakenham Consolidated School.
Deakin was hit before 9am on an 80km/h stretch of road directly outside of the school which does not have enforced speed restrictions in place.
Cardinia Shire Council admitted concern over the issue and has called on VicRoads to investigate.
