A mother who lost both her children in a horrific crash at a Sydney school crossing has said her heart is broken “into a million pieces” — and that she forgives the driver.

Sok Ram, 33, had just picked up her five-year-old daughter Katherine from kindergarten at Cabramatta West Public School on Wednesday afternoon. Her one-year-old son Harry was in a pram. As Ram began crossing the intersection of the Cumberland Highway and Gilbert Street in Cabramatta about 3pm, an SUV that had stopped allegedly kept driving, striking the trio.

Bystanders rushed to help, lifting the car onto its side to rescue one of the children trapped underneath. Ram tried to resuscitate Harry while others performed CPR before paramedics arrived. Both children were rushed to Westmead Children’s Hospital but later died.

In an emotional interview at the crash site on Thursday morning, Ram and the children’s father, Vundy Tha, spoke of their grief.

“I love them so much, more than my life,” Ram told Nine News. “I wish [the car] had hit me.”

Tha described Katherine and Harry as “beautiful kids, very smart”. Katherine, who loved reading and painting, was due to accept an award at kindergarten on Thursday. Harry had just started walking and would follow his sister everywhere.

Ram said she usually sleeps nestled between her children. “We can’t sleep. When I close my eyes, I see my kids,” she said.

The couple thanked the bystanders who tried to help and said they forgave the driver. They pleaded with motorists to drive carefully, especially in school zones.

A small memorial has been set up along the busy road — plush toys and a candle mark the spot where the children died.

“It’s really sad, those little ones, their lives being taken,” one mother dropping off her child at Cabramatta West Public School said. “Please, drive safely. Please, if it’s a school zone, slow down.”

The school will hold an assembly with parents at 1.20pm on Thursday. The NSW Department of Education said support is available for any staff or students affected.

An online fundraiser organised by Patrick Te raised more than $34,000 in hours. “A mother not only lost a child — she lost both of her children, her only two children,” Te wrote.

The 56-year-old man driving the SUV was arrested and taken to hospital for mandatory testing. He was released pending further inquiries as police continue investigating.

Police have spoken to four of the eight men who lifted the SUV to rescue one child. They are still trying to identify the remaining responders. Anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

“It’s probably one of the most confronting scenes that police have come across dealing with young children,” Superintendent Timothy Calman said.