Cesare Liberatore’s father revealed his son’s final text messages before learning the tragic news that his son had passed away after attending the Socceroos match
A night of fervent celebration cheering for the Socceroos at Federation Square has ended in an irreparable tragedy. Cesare Liberatore, a promising young man who had just turned 18, has passed away following a horrific car crash while on his way home this past Saturday morning.
A Fateful Moment on Mickleham Road
The incident occurred around 7 a.m., shortly after Cesare and his friends departed from the live viewing site. Cesare was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Triton ute driven by a friend of the same age. According to reports from authorities, the driver was a P-plater—a motorist still in the probationary phase of their license.
While navigating a downhill stretch of Mickleham Road in Attwood, in Melbourne’s north-west, the ute suddenly lost control, veered into the path of oncoming traffic, and collided with two other vehicles. The violent T-bone impact transformed a weekend morning, which should have been filled with lingering football highlights, into a scene of tearful devastation. The drivers of the other two vehicles, a man in his 50s and a man in his 20s, were fortunately treated for only minor injuries.
The Anguish of Those Left Behind
Cesare was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but despite the best efforts of the medical team, he could not be saved. His friends who were traveling with him, identified as Oscar and Julian, are currently engaged in a desperate battle for their lives in the hospital.
Facing the sudden loss of his son, Cesare’s father, Zaar, could not hide his profound grief while recalling the final messages exchanged: “He was messaging me from Fed Square. I hadn’t gotten up yet. He was messaging me at 4am. I had my alarm set for 4.30am.” He shared his late regret, wishing he had joined his son to share in the passion for the game. To him, Cesare was “a good kid … a real mate.”
Cesare’s grandmother, Mary Liberatore, choked up while thinking of the grandson she loved boundlessly: “Incredibly beautiful, an incredibly beautiful baby and young man.” She added sorrowfully: “To know that I’ll never have him wrap his arms around me again and say, hey Nan, how are you, you know. He was beautiful. I loved him dearly.”
Cesare’s mother, Simonetta, also spoke to The Age regarding her son’s gentle nature: “Everyone loved him, and he always wanted people to laugh.”
An Urgent Appeal from the Heart of the Crisis
Currently, an online fundraiser has been launched to assist with the medical expenses for Cesare’s friends, Oscar and Julian, who remain in critical condition. The message on the donation page states: “Anyone who knows Oscar and Julian knows the kind, genuine people they are. They have touched the lives of so many, and now it’s our turn to show them the same care and support.”
While a small roadside tribute has appeared at the scene of the crash, the Liberatore family hopes that this heart-wrenching story will serve as a wake-up call for young drivers behind the wheel. They are speaking out not to reopen their own wounds, but in the hope that their sharing might help other families avoid a similar tragedy. Victoria Police are continuing their technical forensic investigation to clarify the sequence of events that led to this heartbreaking incident.
