A MELBOURNE TRAGEDY NO PARENT SHOULD ENDURE..! – Hours after celebrating the Socceroos match with friends, 18-year-old Cesare Liberatore was involved in a horrific crash. His father has now revealed the heartbreaking messages his son sent him shortly before the tragedy.
Family of Teen Killed After Watching Socceroos Match Urges Young Drivers to Stay Safe
The family of an 18-year-old Melbourne football fan who died after watching the Socceroos’ World Cup match against the United States is pleading with young drivers to take extra care on the roads as two of his friends remain in critical condition.
Cesare Liberatore, from Tullamarine, was returning home after joining thousands of fans at Federation Square on Saturday morning to watch Australia’s World Cup clash on the big screen when tragedy struck.
According to police, Cesare was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Triton driven by an 18-year-old friend. At about 7 a.m., the ute reportedly crossed onto the wrong side of Mickleham Road in Attwood and collided with two oncoming vehicles.
The crash left Cesare critically injured. Despite the efforts of doctors, he later died in hospital surrounded by his family.
His two friends, identified through an online fundraiser as Oscar and Julian, remain in hospital fighting for their lives. The driver, an 18-year-old P-plater, and another passenger, 17, suffered serious injuries.
The drivers of the other two vehicles, a man in his 50s and another in his 20s, escaped with minor injuries.
“A Good Kid and a Real Mate”
Heartbroken family members have remembered Cesare as a young man who brought joy to everyone around him.
His father, Zaar Liberatore, told 9News his son was “a good kid” and “a real mate.”
Just hours before the crash, Cesare had been messaging his father from Federation Square.
“He was messaging me at 4 a.m.,” Zaar recalled. “I had my alarm set for 4.30, but I wasn’t awake yet. I wish I had gone with him.”
His grandmother, Mary Liberatore, struggled to hold back tears as she remembered her grandson.
“He was incredibly beautiful, an incredibly beautiful baby and young man,” she said.
“To know that I’ll never have him wrap his arms around me again and say, ‘Hey Nan, how are you?’ breaks my heart. I loved him dearly.”
His mother, Simonetta, described her son as someone who always tried to make others laugh and said he was loved by everyone who knew him.
The family revealed Cesare had celebrated his 18th birthday only weeks earlier.
Community Rallies Around Friends
An online fundraiser has been launched to support Oscar and Julian as they continue their fight for recovery.
“Anyone who knows Oscar and Julian knows the kind, genuine people they are,” the fundraising page states.
“They have touched the lives of so many, and now it’s our turn to show them the same care and support.”
Meanwhile, flowers and tributes have begun appearing near the crash site.
As investigators work to determine what caused the devastating collision, Cesare’s family hopes their loss will serve as a reminder to young motorists about the importance of road safety.
Their message is simple but heartbreaking: no family should ever have to endure such unimaginable pain.
