Greenacre crash: Driver arrested after van ploughed into Hijab House
The driver of a van that ploughed into a hijab shop in Sydney’s south west, badly injuring 14 people, had been rearrested at a home in Greenacre today despite being released from police custody last night.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Woman ‘screaming and crying’ before Quakers Hill death
- Top cop scraps fine for ‘dropping off hair straightener’
The driver of a van which ploughed into a hijab shop in western Sydney on Thursday, injuring 14 people, has been rearrested.
The 51-year-old was placed under police guard in hospital last night after it appeared his car hit and nudged another vehicle out of the way at a Greenacre intersection about 3.15pm.
He underwent mandatory testing before being discharged and interviewed by police but was released from police custody in Bankstown.
The driver has now been rearrested after investigators attended a home on Wangee Rd at Greenacre about 1pm today. He’s been taken to Bankstown Police Station and is expected to be charged.
On Thursday, Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said investigations were ongoing.
“For reasons yet to be known the vehicle crossed into lane one and collided with the rear of another vehicle which appeared to have then applied its brakes,” Mr Thurtell said.
“The offending vehicle has then continued to push that vehicle and in doing so burning its front tyres. After that the vehicle in front of it go out of the way, the offending vehicle has then crossed the intersection of Boronia and Waterloo street and ran into the Hijab House.
“We do know he’s a 51-year-old male and that he is known for traffic matters.”
Dramatic footage of the crash showed a van crossing an intersection at Greenacre with a cloud of smoke behind it until a loud crash was heard as it smashed through a shop.
Another video shows the van after it had smashed through the shop window. People were clutching at others trying to get them out of the van.
NSW Fire and Rescue were on the scene to free the male driver from the vehicle and Boronia and Juno roads were closed following the crash.
Dairee shop owner Malik Islam works just across the road from Hijab House on Waterloo Rd, and arrived at the scene just after the crash.
“I pulled up around the back and there were people swarming all over the scene, about 30-40 in the shop with the doors ripped off the hinges,” Mr Malik said.
“There was glass everywhere, people screaming. It was chaos. Greenacre’s never seen anything like this before.”
A witness from the First National Real Estate across the road described the crash.
“There was a car with smoke coming out from the back of it and then it lost control and just crashed inside the shop,” she said.
“There are people injured, mostly girls who were in the shop, some were trying on clothes
“The driver was a guy, they took him out and took him to the hospital.”
Another video shows the maroon people-mover sitting in traffic with smoke billowing from its front and rear tyres. The van is stuck behind a white sedan as it approaches Waterloo Rd.
The white sedan moves out of the way and a man wearing a grey jumper and black hat driving the van continues straight through the intersection. The van drives through the intersection and into Hijab House.
A NSW police spokeswoman said investigators were not treating the incident as a hate crime.
The Daily Telegraph understands police are investigating if it was a road rage incident or if the man suffered a medical episode.
It is believed the man was known to paramedics after a “medical episode” in his car about two weeks ago.
Witnesses said he was “dazed and confused” immediately after the accident.
Hijab House owner Zead Houchar described his “utter disbelief” when he arrived on the scene. He has run the business for eight years in what he described as the “peaceful” community of Greenacre.
“I heard and raced over, I couldn’t believe it,” Mr Houchar said.
“It’s a family business … my daughter works at this store, one minute it’s quiet and the next the change room wall fell on top of her.”
Mr Houchar said other staff and customers shopping inside the store had been hurt “pretty badly”, with one Hijab House member pinned beneath the vehicle when it smashed through the front doors of the business.
“People are hurt pretty badly but it’s a blessing no one was killed, I’m so grateful for that,” he said.
“The business is insured, concrete, steel and glass can all be replaced. I just want to make sure my staff and customers are all okay.”
Originally published as Greenacre crash: Driver arrested after van ploughed into Hijab House