SINGAPORE: Four-year-old Zara May celebrated her birthday on New Year’s Day and went on her first ski trip in December, but her life was cut short in a fatal accident near her home on January 23.
Zara had finished preschool and was walking towards her River Valley home with her two-year-old sister and maid Lily when a car came from a corner and hit her.
On January 27th, Zara’s father, Nick Orlick, told Zara’s father that a maid was holding a younger girl’s hand and carrying her school bag, and after making sure it was safe, she returned to Zara. He said he gave the green light to cross the road.
Zara’s six-year-old sister was not with her at the time.
Dr Orlick, a senior lecturer at Nanyang Business School, said: She was taught to check the road before crossing it. ”
He added that while illegal parking and speeding cars are a problem, the street usually doesn’t have a lot of traffic.
The Indonesian maid, who is in her 30s, said she was unable to reach Zara in time to save her from being hit by a car. All she could do was shout for the driver to stop, but the car stopped after a while.
Zara had finished preschool and was walking towards her River Valley home with her two-year-old sister and maid when a car sped around a nearby street corner and hit her.Photo: Provided by Nick Orlick
Dr Orlik, 39, said he was at home just minutes from the scene of the accident when he received a call from his maid and rushed to Zara’s location.
“When I saw her, my heart sank. Her skull was shattered. She was bleeding profusely from her nose, mouth, and head. And her eyes were closed. ” he said.
He added that paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defense Force arrived quickly and found that Ms Zara had a faint pulse.
The boy was rushed to hospital, but surgeons told Dr Orlik that Zara’s chances of survival were slim. However, doctors continued to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Zara for about 30 minutes, Orlick said.
“I asked them to keep her alive until Michelle arrived, because we wanted to make the decision together.”
Dr Aulick’s wife Michelle, a 38-year-old British lawyer, arrived at the hospital as soon as possible after speaking with police at the scene of the accident.
Dr. Orlick said that when he first met Zara after the accident, she broke down in tears. “She didn’t realize how bad her injuries were until she saw Zara. But she was so brave. Together we told the surgeon to stop CPR and said, ‘Let’s go. I said, ‘You can do that.’
In response to inquiries, police said there was an accident involving a car and a pedestrian on Institution Hill towards River Valley Road on January 23 at around 4.55pm.
The 4-year-old girl was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state and later died from her injuries, the statement said.
Police announced that a 40-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of causing death by negligent driving.
Four-year-old Zara (center) loved playing with her two sisters, ages two and six. – Photo: Courtesy of Nick Orlick
Dr Aulick, who has lived in Singapore since 2012 and is a permanent resident like his wife, said Zara was a fun-loving child who loved dancing. She also loved her sisters.
She further added that she went on her first ski trip in 2023 and spent a memorable Christmas in Dr. Orlik’s native Croatia.
Zara was too young to ski, but she wanted her father to stay with her. There, Dr. Orlik had her take her 3-hour ski lesson and was by her side throughout her skiing activities.
He said he was happy to be able to spend that time with her.
Furthermore, “Lily notices that Zara was cheerfully singing to herself just before the accident. We take some comfort in knowing that she was happy when she died.”
He said Lily would receive professional psychological help to deal with the trauma of witnessing the accident.
Dr Orlick added that the family plans to hold a private funeral for Zara on January 28th and 29th. – Straits Times/ANN