Nathan Hearne, 21, Remembered as a “Big-Hearted” Young Man After Fatal Mount Druitt Truck Incident

Nathan Hearne, 21, is being remembered as a kind and generous young man whose final acts of love for his family included donating bone marrow to help his sick brother.

Hearne was fatally struck by a garbage truck outside a restaurant on Luxford Rd in Mount Druitt, Western Sydney, at about 2.20am on Thursday, September 10.

Emergency paramedics rushed to the scene and attempted to save him, but he died there.

For his devastated family, the tragedy has brought renewed focus to the young man they say was always willing to put others first.

“He had the biggest heart”

Hearne’s mother, Leanne Whelan, told 7NEWS that her son had donated bone marrow to help his brother last year.

“He had the biggest heart,” Whelan said.

“He donated bone marrow for his brother last year.”

The donation came as Hearne’s two brothers, Stevie and Colton, battled Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis type 5 (FHL-5), an extremely rare inherited immune disorder.

A GoFundMe campaign established to support the family said Stevie and Colton are the only siblings formally diagnosed with the condition in Australia.

Stevie underwent a bone marrow transplant at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead last year, while Colton is currently in hospital recovering from the same procedure.

Against that difficult family background, Hearne’s decision to become a donor for his brother was remembered by his mother as a powerful reflection of his character.

Remembered for his warmth and humour

As the family struggles with the sudden loss, Whelan also remembered her son as a “joker” who loved his girlfriend, Amy.

Friends have similarly described Hearne as someone whose personality left a lasting impression on the people around him.

Family friend Jessica Carter said he was a “vibrant, outgoing, cheerful spirit who made everyone who met him remember him”.

She said Hearne was always willing to help others and was a great friend to those who knew him.

“You will be deeply missed Nathan by ALL that met you and the MANY MANY people who loved you,” Carter said.

Another friend said she had been “rocked” by his sudden death, describing Hearne as “a beautiful soul, a gentleman, and a good mate”.

“He will be greatly missed,” she said.

Questions surrounding the hours before his death

Alongside the grief and tributes, questions have emerged about what happened in the hours leading up to Hearne’s death.

A critical incident investigation has been launched after police revealed that Hearne had interacted with officers twice earlier that evening.

According to police, Hearne attended the rear of Mount Druitt Police Station on two occasions and interacted with officers before the fatal incident.

His mother has since raised concerns about those interactions.

The garbage truck driver, a 31-year-old man, was not injured in the incident and was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

A critical incident investigation team from Riverstone Police Area Command will examine the circumstances surrounding Hearne’s death.

The investigation will also be independently reviewed by the NSW Police Professional Standards Command and overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

For a family already facing the serious health battles of Hearne’s two brothers, his sudden death has added another devastating loss — leaving those closest to him remembering a 21-year-old they say had a remarkable capacity to care for others.