‘Tragic’: Dad, girl killed in crash named
A father and his 11-year-old daughter who were killed in a multi-car crash in Sydney’s southwest have been identified.
Thai Duong, 41, and his daughter Haili were in the back seat of a DiDi rideshare when it crashed on Sunday evening, leaving Mr Duong’s nine-year-old son Justin in hospital with critical injuries.
Emergency services were called to the tragic scene on Milperra Rd near Murray Jones Dr, near Bankstown, about 7.40pm on Sunday after the rideshare vehicle collided with a Toyota HiLux.
The 52-year-old male driver of the rideshare is in Westmead Hospital with serious injuries.
The driver of the Toyota, a 19-year-old man, was taken to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory drug and alcohol testing, and has since been released.
St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School principal Patricia Laidler sent an email to parents on Monday telling them about the “tragic” deaths.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that the accident being reported in the news this morning involved a member of our school community,” she wrote.
“Tragically, Haili Duong from Year 6 died in the accident along with her father Thai Duong last night.
“At this time we send our deepest condolences to the whole family as they grieve this loss.
“The school will work closely with the family to ensure they have the support and care they need during this time.
“Death is tragic, no matter how it occurs and it leaves hind many loved ones who need our support more than anything during this time.
“As a school community, we pray for Haili and her family and she is deeply in our thoughts and prayers.”
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said he had viewed dashcam footage from the rideshare car.
He said the rideshare had turned right at the intersection and was then impacted by the Toyota.
“From my initial observation, and while the investigation is still ongoing, I’m satisfied the traffic control lights were working at the time and that the driver did undertake a right hand turn and that there, clearly visible in the dashcam, there were other vehicles coming from the opposing direction,” he said.
He said there was no red light or arrow “in play” at the time.
“There was a single green traffic control light, there was no particular arrow that was in play at that time,” he said.
In that circumstance, he said it was legal to make a right turn if it was safe to do so.
“I’m satisfied that it wasn’t safe to do so,” he said.
When he was asked how the 19-year-old driver was faring after the horrific event, he replied: “This is one of the challenges we have, that for every action that an offending driver undertakes, there is a consequences to those who are just going about their business trying to do the right thing.”
He said all aspects of the crash would be investigated, including the speed of the vehicles involved.
He said the rideshare driver would be interviewed at “some point”.
The crash sent the sedan rolling and trapped the driver and passengers.
A crime scene has been established as officers attached to the Crash Investigation Unit look into the incident.
Assistant Commissioner McFadden decried the “tragic and preventable circumstances” that had taken the lives of nine people on NSW roads in the past nine days.
“I just can’t imagine the tragedy that is befalling so many families in this very short period of time,” he said.
In a nine-day period, he said the police had caught 5100 speeding drivers and arrested 288 drivers for drink-driving.
They have also caught 288 people with illicit drugs in their system and 400 people for using their mobile phones.
“These are the factors that are impacting on the lives lost on our roads,” he said.
