Post by Rod on Aug 10, 2008 22:18:40 GMT -5
Jessie played Melanie, Lisa's younger sister. Jim Rapsas worked on this show so I thought I would post this story.
Local actress Jessica Jacobs in train tragedy
May 15, 2008 02:16pm
THE brother of a teen actress killed by a train says his family was devastated when a rail official falsely said her death wasn't accidental.
Jessie Jacobs, 17, the Melbourne star of the Saddle Club, died on Sunday.
She was killed when she stumbled off a platform at Cheltenham station and into the path of an on-coming train. She was on the way to buy a present for her brother Adam.
Adam, 24, today paid tribute to his ''hero'', his ''beautiful'' younger sister.
''If I had to describe her in one word it would be 'over-achiever','' Adam said.
''Everything she did was so good. She was very grounded and likeable, very mellow and did not let anything get to her head, despite the fact she had been in these shows and was recognised a bit.''
However, he was furious with an apparent suggestion by a station attendant that the tragic death was not an accident.
He said the family had been distressed by a Connex station worker who had told people, including them, Jessica's death was not an accident.
But Victoria Police investigators have told the family Jessica stumbled as she walked along the platform.
Mr Jacobs said his stepfather and mother visited the station to view a makeshift shrine to Jessica when a woman working at the station told them it was not an accident.
''My stepfather had asked what had happened,'' he said.
''This lady said she could say it was not an accident. When he asked her if she was pushed, she said ''no''.
''It was ''no'', indicating she had done this to herself.
''My mum overheard all of this. She is so traumatised by it. It's unacceptable.''
''She is obviously an idiot to tell people this, because not only is it erroneous, it's incredibly hurtful.
''My mum wants an apology. Where is their corporate conscience?''
He said Connex had not spoken to the family since the accident.
Connex spokesman John Rees told the Herald Sun the company would launch an investigation into the family's allegation.
''We appreciate this is a terrible time for the family,'' he said.
''We want to find out what the situation was before we take any disciplinary action.
''We will talk to the staff at the station to find out what has happened.''
Police took several hours to find the family because the teenager, who was arriving home from an overnight stay with a friend, was carrying fake ID.
Jessica, known as Jessie to her friends, was well known in the world of children's television, starring in Saddle Club, Worst Best Friends, Fergus McPhail and Holly's Heroes.
She also appeared in live productions, including the Sound of Music with Bert Newton and Lisa McCune.
Jessica, who was a gifted violinist and bassist, had planned to join the Victorian College of the Arts next year to establish herself as a musician.
Mr Jacobs, 24, said his tiny sister was destined to succeed in the music industry.
He said his sister was bouyant about a coming gig at the Espy in St Kilda, had settled on where she would hold her 18th birthday celebrations in November and was planning to move out of home.
''She was planning to move in with me,'' he said.
''Jessie wanted to be a musician, that was her life. I believed she was going to succeed.
''Only on Friday we were joking around. I told her I was a better DJ than she was a bass player and she just laughed it off.''
''I'm okay, to be honest. I'm just really trying to rally for my parents,'' Adam, a journalism student at Deakin University, said.
''Me, Mum and Dad have been working together on her funeral and wake. We've banded together and made all the decisions,'' he said.
In his eulogy, Adam plans to speak about how protective he was of his little sister, who was far more like him than either of them realised.
''Only recently did I find out that Jess smuggled vodka into her Year Nine camp. I did that too.''
He said that while she got up to ''shenanigans'' like any teenager, they were few and far between and she was a good sister, an outstanding daughter and an amazing friend.
''She was the best sister to me. We were very close, I loved her so much, she was my hero really.
''She's always the best person to talk to, the one I would go to to ask for advice. She was the best,'' Adam said.
''She was just so happy, so charismatic.''
The death comes after another person involved in the Saddle Club series, Canadian rock musician Carl Dixon, was critically injured in a car accident.
Dixon was recording an album for the series, in which his daughter Lauren is also a star.
He remains in hospital, but has posted a letter to fans on his website, saying while his extensive injuries are a challenge, he is upbeat about the situation.
Apart from her older brother, Adam, Jessica also had two younger brothers, Seth aged 14 and Charlie, two.
Jessica will be farewelled by more than 400 people in Brighton tomorrow and a police-led cortege will lead a horse drawm carriage carrying Jesse’s body from Holy Trinity Church in St Kilda to St Kilda Cemetery.
Bands she was playing in will perform at her wake.
Local actress Jessica Jacobs in train tragedy
May 15, 2008 02:16pm
THE brother of a teen actress killed by a train says his family was devastated when a rail official falsely said her death wasn't accidental.
Jessie Jacobs, 17, the Melbourne star of the Saddle Club, died on Sunday.
She was killed when she stumbled off a platform at Cheltenham station and into the path of an on-coming train. She was on the way to buy a present for her brother Adam.
Adam, 24, today paid tribute to his ''hero'', his ''beautiful'' younger sister.
''If I had to describe her in one word it would be 'over-achiever','' Adam said.
''Everything she did was so good. She was very grounded and likeable, very mellow and did not let anything get to her head, despite the fact she had been in these shows and was recognised a bit.''
However, he was furious with an apparent suggestion by a station attendant that the tragic death was not an accident.
He said the family had been distressed by a Connex station worker who had told people, including them, Jessica's death was not an accident.
But Victoria Police investigators have told the family Jessica stumbled as she walked along the platform.
Mr Jacobs said his stepfather and mother visited the station to view a makeshift shrine to Jessica when a woman working at the station told them it was not an accident.
''My stepfather had asked what had happened,'' he said.
''This lady said she could say it was not an accident. When he asked her if she was pushed, she said ''no''.
''It was ''no'', indicating she had done this to herself.
''My mum overheard all of this. She is so traumatised by it. It's unacceptable.''
''She is obviously an idiot to tell people this, because not only is it erroneous, it's incredibly hurtful.
''My mum wants an apology. Where is their corporate conscience?''
He said Connex had not spoken to the family since the accident.
Connex spokesman John Rees told the Herald Sun the company would launch an investigation into the family's allegation.
''We appreciate this is a terrible time for the family,'' he said.
''We want to find out what the situation was before we take any disciplinary action.
''We will talk to the staff at the station to find out what has happened.''
Police took several hours to find the family because the teenager, who was arriving home from an overnight stay with a friend, was carrying fake ID.
Jessica, known as Jessie to her friends, was well known in the world of children's television, starring in Saddle Club, Worst Best Friends, Fergus McPhail and Holly's Heroes.
She also appeared in live productions, including the Sound of Music with Bert Newton and Lisa McCune.
Jessica, who was a gifted violinist and bassist, had planned to join the Victorian College of the Arts next year to establish herself as a musician.
Mr Jacobs, 24, said his tiny sister was destined to succeed in the music industry.
He said his sister was bouyant about a coming gig at the Espy in St Kilda, had settled on where she would hold her 18th birthday celebrations in November and was planning to move out of home.
''She was planning to move in with me,'' he said.
''Jessie wanted to be a musician, that was her life. I believed she was going to succeed.
''Only on Friday we were joking around. I told her I was a better DJ than she was a bass player and she just laughed it off.''
''I'm okay, to be honest. I'm just really trying to rally for my parents,'' Adam, a journalism student at Deakin University, said.
''Me, Mum and Dad have been working together on her funeral and wake. We've banded together and made all the decisions,'' he said.
In his eulogy, Adam plans to speak about how protective he was of his little sister, who was far more like him than either of them realised.
''Only recently did I find out that Jess smuggled vodka into her Year Nine camp. I did that too.''
He said that while she got up to ''shenanigans'' like any teenager, they were few and far between and she was a good sister, an outstanding daughter and an amazing friend.
''She was the best sister to me. We were very close, I loved her so much, she was my hero really.
''She's always the best person to talk to, the one I would go to to ask for advice. She was the best,'' Adam said.
''She was just so happy, so charismatic.''
The death comes after another person involved in the Saddle Club series, Canadian rock musician Carl Dixon, was critically injured in a car accident.
Dixon was recording an album for the series, in which his daughter Lauren is also a star.
He remains in hospital, but has posted a letter to fans on his website, saying while his extensive injuries are a challenge, he is upbeat about the situation.
Apart from her older brother, Adam, Jessica also had two younger brothers, Seth aged 14 and Charlie, two.
Jessica will be farewelled by more than 400 people in Brighton tomorrow and a police-led cortege will lead a horse drawm carriage carrying Jesse’s body from Holy Trinity Church in St Kilda to St Kilda Cemetery.
Bands she was playing in will perform at her wake.
