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Final funerals for teenage crash victims

Balloon tributes have been left around Wollondilly Shire after the deaths of five local teens.

Balloon tributes have been left around Wollondilly Shire after the deaths of five local teens. Photo: AAP

Hundreds of mourners will turn out for the last two funerals held for a group of teenagers killed in a horror crash southwest of Sydney.

Summer Williams, 14, and Antonio Desisto, 16, will be remembered at funerals on Monday after they were killed along with three school friends in the September 6 crash at Buxton.

The tight-knit Wollondilly community has been mourning the five teens, who died when the ute they were travelling in flipped and crashed into two trees.

Summer’s funeral will be held at St Mark’s Anglican Church at Picton, while Antonio will be farewelled at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Leppington.

On the weekend, friends and family of 15-year-old Gabby McLennan gathered at Leppington, wearing her favourite colour of sky blue, to mourn the high school student and local soccer player.

Hundreds gathered at St Anthony’s Catholic Church in Tahmoor on Friday for the funeral of Lily Van De Putte, 14, who was remembered for her kind nature.

“Not only was she beautiful, she had a beautiful heart,” Lily’s father John Van De Putte told the funeral service.

The life of 15-year-old Tyrese Bechard was celebrated at HisHouse Church in Picton on Thursday.

Face-to-face learning at Picton High School, which all of the teenagers attended, has gone online until Tuesday to enable students and teachers to be at the funerals.

The victims are being commemorated in the area with balloon tributes, with a different colour dedicated to each teen.

Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould has called it a “very very difficult” time for the region, and the council has set up a mayoral relief fund to offer financial support to the victims’ families.

The ute’s driver, 18-year-old Tyrell Edwards, is in custody after being charged with five counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and will face court again on Monday.

– AAP

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