Rockingham crash: Mum of six-year-old Jackson Donovan pays tribute to her son

The grieving mother of a six-year-old boy killed in the horror Rockingham crash has shared the harrowing moment she realised she had lost her “sweet” and “joyful” little boy.

Jackson Donovan’s mum Klara Donovan had just picked her little boy up from school with his younger sister Rosie when the tragedy unfolded on a rainy Friday afternoon at the intersection of Dixon and Mandurah roads in East Rockingham.

The family were on their way to pick up Jackson’s other little sister, Everley, from pre-primary — but they tragically did not make it.

“We got in the car ... I was thrilled that in less than an hour we’d all be home together for the weekend,” the heartbroken mother wrote on Facebook.

“(Then) everything went white.”

The family were caught up in a four-vehicle pile-up at the intersection of Dixon and Mandurah roads, when a driver — who is believed to have suffered from a medical episode — rear-ended the family’s black Kia and slammed it into the back of a Transperth bus. Another vehicle then crashed into the wreckage.

“I was so confused until I realised we’d just been hit really hard and all the airbags had deployed around me,” Ms Donovan said.

“We were pushed into the traffic and got hit one or two more times, which spun the car.”

When the car finally stopped spinning, the first thing Ms Donovan did was yell out “everyone OK?” to her children, but only one of them answered.

“Rosie started screaming,” she said. “Jackson was quiet and I was honestly so confused as to why he didn’t answer until I saw him.”

A witness to the horrific incident said he saw a woman drag a boy from the car as motorists frantically tried to help him. Jackson was taken to Perth Children’s Hospital but could not be saved. The family were told their little boy had died on impact.

The collision happened minutes after St John WA issued an emergency alert warning there would be delays to paramedics reaching triple-0 calls.

“Chris and I can’t wrap our heads around how everything has just stopped,” Ms Donovan’s heartbreaking post continued.

“His love of video games ... he loved reading Dr Seuss books to us. His joyful little friendships. His great love for his sisters ... His Paw Patrol onesie. Chicken wrap happy meals with frozen coke.”

Ms Donovan said she’d miss her son sneaking into her bed at night.

“He had just won some uno cards at school and was loving learning the game and teaching Everley so he would always have someone to play with him,” she said. “And he was really excited for the new Bluey episodes starting this week.”

The family said they were “devastated beyond words” after losing their boy — the most “hilarious, smart, sweet kid”.

“Rosie won’t even remember the brother who knew how to make her laugh long before anyone else could,” Ms Donovan said. “Everley has lost her best friend and wild play mate. Jackson, we love you so so much. We are so sorry you couldn’t stay longer with us.”