A tragic incident resulted in the loss of a pregnant woman and her unborn child after they were hit by a vehicle while crossing a car park entrance. The woman, who was eight months pregnant, was with her husband and their three-year-old son at the car park entrance 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 at the entrance to Hornsby Railway Station’s car park when a white BMW, driven by a P-plate driver, collided with the Kia from behind, causing it to strike the woman. Despite emergency services rushing the 33-year-old to Westmead Hospital in critical condition, 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 “very confronting” for emergency responders, emphasizing the tragedy of the situation, especially when children are involved. The 19-year-old P-plate driver, Aaron Papazoglu, received medical treatment before being released to his home in nearby Wahroonga. Following the review of dashcam footage, he was arrested and charged with dangerous driving causing death, negligent driving resulting in death, and causing the loss of a fetus – the death of a pregnant woman under Zoe’s Law.
Papazoglu is currently in custody and is scheduled to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.