Woman killed after man, 89, drives into Sydney cafe
A woman has died after an out of control car ploughed into a café in Sydney’s northwest on Friday morning.
The 40-year-old woman suffered critical stomach injuries and was rushed to hospital before later dying, NSW Police said.
The incident occurred about 10am at the corner of Malton Road and Roma Street, North Epping when a Holden Commodore drove into tables outside the cafe.
Twelve ambulance crews attended to 10 people at the scene.
Three other people who sustained injuries in the incident were taken to hospital in a stable condition. A rescue helicopter was also dispatched to the scene.
Two of the other four people hospitalised had leg injuries while the other two had minor injuries.
Initial reports suggesting at least two victims were pinned by the car.
“Paramedics currently treating 10 patients. One patient is in a critical condition,” NSW Ambulance tweeted at 11:37am.
Witnesses told Seven News that a group of female friends had been sitting outside the cafe at the time. It’s believed the group regularly attended the cafe after dropping off their children to a nearby school.
“They were just enjoying a meeting together, having coffee, and they were struck by this vehicle,” Detective Inspector Mark Christie told reporters on Friday afternoon.
The vehicle was being driven by an 89-year-old man, who has been interviewed and taken to hospital for blood and urine testing.
Nine News reported that the victim was a mother of two.
The woman’s neighbour was among those who gathered at the cafe following the tragedy, reportedly describing her as “one of the sweetest people I know.”
Speaking to reporters, NSW Ambulance Superintendent Steve Vaughan described the scene as “absolutely frantic” when first responders arrived, saying “there was carnage everywhere”.
“Crews arrived on scene to find a number of patients spread across the scene,” he said.
The Daily Telegraph reported that witnesses heard screaming in the moments after the collision.
“I didn’t see it but I could hear people yelling and screaming – nothing like this has happened here before,” a nearby shop owner said. “The restaurant is always busy in the mornings. All we can hope is that everyone is okay.”
The Crash Investigation Unit are currently on scene and investigators are continuing to understand how the man drove into the busy cafe, police said in a statement.
“It appears he has pulled into the parking spot and then there's been some sort of collision after that but we don't know the circumstances yet, they're still under investigation,” Detective Inspector Mark Christie told reporters this afternoon.
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.
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