One dead after learner driver hits bus-stop crowd

[CRAZY 'N' NUTS]

A 20-year-old woman has died in surgery after she and 12 others were hit by a car as they waited at a bus-stop in Sydney's south this morning.

The woman, from the New South Wales town of Orange, was rushed to St George Hospital, but did not survive, a police spokesperson told ninemsn. The 42-year-old driver of the car, who was on a learner's permit, appeared to lose control of her car and ploughed into the group shortly after 11am (AEST) near the intersection of Montgomery Street in Korgarh. She was taken to St George Hospital in shock where she is under police guard.

Crash witnesses said they saw a woman driving at speed make a right into Railway Parade, in Kogarah, before hitting the group of people, including two babies, outside a pharmacy and bank.

"She was driving too fast," a witness told Macquarie radio.

L-plates lay on the ground and at least six shoes were strewn around the crash site.

A crushed pram was next to a bus stop sign which had been bent to within centimetres of the bitumen.

Police cordoned off a section of Railway Parade where a red Toyota Echo, its front windscreen cracked, stood about 10m from a bus stop.

Witnesses said a six month-old baby was sent flying into the air when the car struck the people and hit the bus stop.

"She hit people ... male, female and two children and just a couple of metres after the collision she hit the brakes," a witness said.

"She got out of the car and started screaming."

Earlier, Ambulance NSW spokesman Neil Hargreaves said seven people were taken to four Sydney hospitals following the crash.

Three people were taken to St George Hospital, two people have been taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at Camperdown, one has been taken to Canterbury Hospital and one to Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick.

"The remainder are in a serious condition and have lower (less serious) injuries including head, chest and pelvic injuries."

Four people, other than the nine taken to hospital by ambulances, had checked themselves into nearby St George Hospital for treatment, Mr Hargreaves said.


One of the injured is an 18-month-old boy who is in a critical, but stable condition in the intensive care ward of Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick, a hospital spokesperson told ninemsn.

A father later said he had instinctively picked up two injured babies from the ground after the horrific accident.

Rob Mitreski, 41, said two sisters, with their children, aged 18 months and six months, were among those injured.

He said he saw one of the babies, still strapped in his stroller, fly about one and a half metres in the air from the impact of the collision.

He also said the mother of the 18-month-old child was dragged underneath the red Toyota Echo for several metres.

"I was standing across the road and I saw the six-month-old baby, strapped in his stroller, just fly through the air, about five feet, and just land on the road," Mr Mitreski said.

"As I ran and pulled the baby out of the stroller and undone his seatbelt the lady was standing over my shoulder screaming 'That's my baby!'

"I looked and behind me there was another baby, 18 months, with all blood coming out of his nose and his teeth busted up.

"She said, 'That's my sister's kid, that's my nephew'. I picked the two babies up and just started running towards the hospital."

He said the mother of the six-month-old child was with him as he ran, but her sister was still trapped underneath the car.

"I was just concerned about the little babies, I've got kids myself, he said.

Mr Mitreski said he ran with the woman and the two babies, one under each arm, along Montgomery Street towards St George Hospital.

As they passed a police station, he gave the 18-month-old child, who was more injured, to an officer and asked police to take him and his aunt to the hospital.

Mr Mitreski said he told the woman he would take the six-month-old child, the pram and her handbag to the hospital.

He said he gave the woman back her child in the emergency department of St George Hospital, where she asked him to return to the crash site to check on her sister.

However, when he returned the sister had already been taken to hospital.

"Anyone would do it," he said of his actions.

"I've got kids myself.

"Even if you don't have kids, you're not going to see little babies get hurt like that and not try to help.

"It's just instinct."

http://optuszoo.news

[A*O]

This is a terrible story. Too soon to know what happened exactly but it seems a learner driver came round the corner too fast, lost control of the car and ploughed into all these people. Imagine living with that on your conscience for the rest of your life.......... Coincidentally, the trial of a man who ran his ute into a group of teenagers standing by the side of the road waiting for a taxi in Mildura is about to start. He killed 6 of them.

[Soth]

This was tragic....I really hope the backlash against the driver doesnt distract from their quite obvious remorse......42 year old Learners still need the proper training to drive though......I place it at their instructor

[Sleuth]

i take it that she didn't have a licensed passenger beside her whilst she was driving?... She is in some deep shit over this.. i hope everyone who was injured has a speedy recovery and my thoughts go out to the deceased womans family .. way too young to die. RIP

[CRAZY 'N' NUTS]

The graphic description of what happened to the babies made my stomach churn. Wow, I cant believe this happened! its right near where my friend and I sometimes meet for coffee after she finishes class. I feel sorry for the people that are involved, what a terrible and tragic freak accident.

The funny thing is, this article never mentioned the instructer. Was she driving alone on her L plates?

[Soth]

There was apparently a 60 year old either in the car or hurt - not sure.....the story broke about 3 mins before the news came on

[january]

How absolutely tragic for all involved. I can't help but feel a smidgen of sympathy towards the driver as well.

[Soth]

The smeers on the ashphalt, was enough to get past the censors.....from a fucking mobile phone...You dont even see that on CNN.....

[Aella]

What's a learner's permit? It's not the same as a driver's license?

[McJag]

How totally sad. I hope those babies are OK. I can't feel too sorry for the learning driver-couldn't she practice on back roads or empty parking lots until she got it right? She was going fast,too. Smacks of total lack of common sense everyone else must pay for and it sounds like some of these people will be paying for HER mistake a lifetime!

[McJag]

[quote=CRAZY 'N' NUTS; its right near where my friend and I sometimes meet for coffee after she finishes class. .

quote]

I am glad you were not near this. Could have been a close call.

[Grimmlok]

So any guesses on if she rides the bus for the rest of her life?

[greysfang]

Originally Posted by Aella

What's a learner's permit? It's not the same as a driver's license?

A learner's permit is not the same as a driver's license. Its a permit to drive while you are learning how to drive and comes with tough restrictions (which differ depending on where you live). Some of the restrictions are, you can only drive during daylight hours, can't have more than 1-2 passengers in your car, must have a license driver in the shotgun seat with you and they must be at least 21...and so forth.

[xoxo]

how awful for the driver and the people hit

[CRAZY 'N' NUTS]

[quote=McJag;605073]

Originally Posted by CRAZY 'N' NUTS; its right near where my friend and I sometimes meet for coffee after she finishes class. .

quote

I am glad you were not near this. Could have been a close call.

Awwww thank you McJag, thats really sweet of you to care