Ali Akbar Hazara sentenced after hitting mother and daughter on Angas St, outside St Aloysius College
The driver who trapped a mother and her young college student daughter under his car outside a top city private school has sprinted from court after he was sentenced.
Police & Courts
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A man has been sentenced after he injured a mother and her young college student daughter crossing the road outside a top city private school.
Ali Akbar Hazara, 51, said he was “incredibly remorseful” for the crash that trapped the woman and her young daughter under his car.
Emergency services were called to Angas St, near the intersection of Moore St outside all-girls St Aloysius College in the city, at 8.34am on June 22 amid reports a car had collided with pedestrians.
A prosecutor told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday that Hazara performed an illegal U-turn and struck a woman and her six-year-daughter crossing the road.
“The defendant stated he did not see the lady and her child when he was turning around and only heard a thud and then could hear a woman screaming,” the prosecutor said.
The woman, 38, became trapped by Hazara’s white Toyota LandCruiser Prado 4WD and was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious lower limb and spinal injuries.
“Metropolitan Fire Service attended and used airbags to lift the car off the woman,” the prosecutor said.
The woman’s daughter, a school student, was able to crawl out from under the car and suffered minor injuries.
College students were offered counselling after the collision.
At the time of the crash, property developer and social infrastructure provider Peter Karidis called for an urgent safety review of Angas St.
He said he had repeatedly witnessed near misses and widespread chaos in the area, which is close to police headquarters and the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
He said he has seen motorists speed, undertake U-turns, overtake and engage in other dangerous driving patterns outside the school zone, including when children were present.
Hazara, of Ferryden Park, pleaded guilty to an aggravated charge of driving without due care.
The father-of-four read an apology letter to the court, saying he took full responsibility for his actions.
“I hope that in time (the victims) can find it within them to forgive me,” he said.
James Caldicott, for Hazara, told the court his client was incredibly remorseful.
Mr Caldicott said Hazara had dropped his children off to school and didn’t see the victims crossing the road.
“Mr Hazara accepts this every day that he’s very lucky that it was not a worse situation that befell the victims in this matter,” he said.
The court heard Hazara was born in Afghanistan and migrated to Australia in 1999, where he has owned a grocer since 2015.
Magistrate Michael Fotheringham convicted Hazara and sentenced him to a $500, 18-month good behaviour bond.
“A driver must be vigilant, a few seconds as you found out can result in significant consequences,” he said.
Hazara was also disqualified from driving for six months.
Outside court, Hazara hid his face with bail papers and sprinted from waiting media.