Cammeray crash: Man, 18, dies after girl allegedly smashed Holden Commodore into tree
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One of the passengers involved in the horrific Sydney attack that left five teenagers hospitalized has tragically died of his injuries.
The 18-year-old Hornsby man was in the back seat of his own Holden Commodore just before 5pm on Sunday when he veered off the road and crashed into a tree on West St, in Cammeray, a northern Sydney suburb.
There were four other teenagers in the car and police claimed the Commodore was being driven by a 16-year-old girl when it hit the tree and exploded in a ball of flame.
The 18-year-old man suffered multiple serious injuries and was treated at Royal North Shore Hospital, but tragically passed away on Thursday night.
The driver and three other passengers – two 16-year-old girls and two 17-year-old boys – remain in hospital, all reportedly in stable condition.
Five teens will suffer ‘lifelong consequences’ from the fiery crash as three teens have been revealed to be from a wealthy Sydney suburb
Several occupants are in an induced coma with serious spinal and head injuries after the crash in Cammeray, on the lower north coast, at 5pm on Sunday.
Strike Force Mulvany, made up of officers attached to Blue Mountains Police Area Command’s critical incident team, continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The research will be subject to an independent review.
A briefing is now being prepared for the coroner.
Police previously confirmed that several occupants were in an induced coma with spinal cord and head injuries a day after the crash.
The Holden Commodore reportedly reached speeds of 150 km/h as it gave police a wild chase before crashing into the tree and bursting into flames.
NSW Police Chief Inspector Paul Devaney said on Monday that three of the occupants were Mosman’s.
That included the 16-year-old girl who was allegedly behind the wheel and had never held a driver’s license.
Supt Devaney said the crash happened after a fight at nearby Wollstonecraft, where a 17-year-old boy was allegedly assaulted after organizing to meet the car’s occupants.
Witnesses say the car was chased by police at speeds of up to 150 km/h before crashing into a tree and bursting into flames
“There was a brawl where a man was attacked by four people… some time before the crash,” he said.
A 16-year-old girl who sat in the front is from Glenwood, two 17-year-old boys who were in the back seat are also from Mosman.
The 18-year-old male passenger, the owner of the vehicle, was from Hornsby.
The alleged attack on Wollstonecraft was violent enough for a witness to call police, who arrived around 4.30pm and spoke to the 17-year-old who was reportedly beaten by four of the five car occupants.
Ten minutes later, police spotted the red Holden Commodore and gave chase.
Supt Devaney said the unlicensed 16-year-old girl driving the car “didn’t stop” and was then chased until the vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire.
He said he was “convinced we would have had a fatal accident” if police and the public had not helped drag the five teens out of the vehicle and provide first aid.
He implored any eyewitnesses or anyone with CCTV or dash cam footage of the fight or chase and accident to come forward.
“This was a horrific incident that will likely have lifelong consequences for all involved,” he said.
Supt Devaney said only the alleged victim of the Wollstonecraft assault had been interviewed and police had yet to speak to the driver or the four passengers.
Officers had to give up the pursuit before the vehicle crashed into a tree at 5pm and caught fire on West Street, in Cammeray.
The crash caused lengthy traffic delays on the Sydney Harbor Bridge as rescue helicopters interrupted a local cricket game when they landed in the middle of nearby Bon Andrews Oval.
The five teenagers were rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital, where they remain in critical condition.
Shocked witnesses recalled seeing the maroon car speed through the quiet backstreets of the suburbs, reportedly chased by police at speeds of up to 150 km/h.
“I looked out my window and saw the car speed past at very high speed,” a woman told the Daily Mail Australia.
A CareFlight rescue helicopter landed in the middle of Bon Andrews Oval and stopped playing
Police had to smash the car window to pull the injured victims out of the wreckage as shocked witnesses watched
Clothing and shoes left behind were scattered on the footpath after the horror crash
‘I heard them being chased by the police through the streets for a long time. You could hear the V8 engine being thrashed. It was incredibly dangerous.’
Police and witnesses were forced to smash the car windows to free the occupants from the mutilated wreckage before they were rushed to hospital.
Abandoned clothing and footwear were scattered on the footpath.
Some pedestrians were also caught in the chaos.
“There was a woman standing by the side of the road, there was blood everywhere,” a witness told Ten News.
CareFlight crews were deployed to help the injured with the helicopter forced to land in the middle of Bon Andrews Oval and stopped playing during a local cricket match
Another woman added: ‘It was frightening, I started to cry. My heart is still pounding.’
“There were people resuscitating them (the injured teens) and a lot of cops.
“The car caught fire and there was a loud bang as the car exploded.”
Police have launched a critical incident investigation will be subject to an independent review.
The packed car (pictured) was reportedly chased by police at speeds of up to 150 km/h before losing control and crashing into a tree, trapping the occupants
A rescue helicopter and several ambulances were called to the scene in West St Cammeray to take the injured to hospital