A tragic incident resulted in the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child after they were hit by a vehicle while crossing a car park entrance. The pregnant woman, accompanied by her husband and their three-year-old son, was struck at the entrance to a car park on George Street in Hornsby, north Sydney, around 8pm on Friday. A teenage driver with a provisional license has been charged in connection with the accident and could face up to 10 years in prison.
Reports indicate that a Kia Carnival had stopped to let the family cross as it turned into the car park at Hornsby Railway Station. A white BMW, allegedly driven by a P-plate driver, then collided with the rear of the Kia, causing it to hit the woman. Emergency services attended to the 33-year-old pregnant woman, who was eight months along, and rushed her to Westmead Hospital in critical condition. Sadly, both the mother and her baby did not survive.
Assistant Commissioner David Driver of the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command described the crash as a “very confronting” situation for emergency responders, emphasizing the tragedy of losing lives, especially involving children. The P-plate driver involved, Aaron Papazoglu, received medical treatment before being released to his home in nearby Wahroonga. Following an examination of dashcam footage, police arrested the 19-year-old on Millewa Avenue in Wahroonga.
Papazoglu has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, negligent driving resulting in death, and causing the loss of a fetus – death of a pregnant woman under Zoe’s Law, enacted three years ago. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.