Man could face manslaughter charge over death of unborn baby in horror crash
Police have taken an almost unprecedented step in their pursuit of justice for twins killed with their pregnant mother in a devastating Western Sydney crash.
The driver accused of causing the crash, Richard Moananu, could face an extra manslaughter charge if it’s found one for the babies drew breath during the accident.
On Friday the father-of-four was refused bail and will stay behind bars, accused of ripping a family apart in the horrific crash.
Moananu was allegedly drunk, high and speeding when he smashed into the Hoang’s car at Orchard Hills last month.
Learner driver Ahn Hoang, and her sister-in-law, 23-year-old Katherine Hoang, were killed – along with Katherine’s unborn twin boys.
She was 36 weeks pregnant.
Her husband Bronko Hoang survived, but has a severe brain injury.
Tests are being carried out to determine whether one of the twins drew breath in the moments after the smash.
If he did, an extra charge of manslaughter will be added to the 12 Moananu is already facing.
On Friday prosecutors argued against the 29-year-old’s bail application, saying he’d put the community in peril that night.
“He made some choices this day to drink from about 10am at the St Mary’s hotel … [he] chose to get in his car and drive in an atrocious manner,” prosecutors said.
In security vision of the crash shown in court, Moananu’s car can be seen jumping the traffic island and colliding head-on into the Hoang family’s car.
The impact was intense and devastating.
Photos from the crash scene show Moananu’s speedometer frozen at the moment of impact.
He was allegedly doing almost 140 kilometres an hour in a 60 zone, while four times the legal blood alcohol limit and under the influence of cannabis.
But Moananu’s fight to be freed on bail isn’t over.
He plans to make another bail application in the Supreme Court in November.
Moananu’s lawyers say he has been pleading for permission to write a letter to the Hoang family to express his remorse.
The court heard that the twins’ father, Bronco Hoang, faces months of rehabilitation before he can leave hospital.
It’s not known if he will ever fully recover.
