Tyrrell Edwards to fight for bail in NSW Supreme Court following Buxton crash

The driver of a ute that hit a tree and killed five NSW teenagers will fight for his freedom in the state’s highest court.

A teenager accused of driving dangerously and causing a horror crash which killed five young students on the outskirts of Sydney will apply to the state’s highest court to be freed on bail.

Tyrell Edwards was allegedly behind the wheel when his Nissan Navara smashed into a tree in Buxton, an hour south of Sydney, about 8pm on September 6.

Five of his friends, aged between 14 and 16, were killed in the incident which left him with only minor injuries.

They have since been identified as Tyrese Bechard, Lily Van de Putte, Summer Williams, Antonio Desisto, and Gabriella McLennan.

Tyrell Edwards will apply for bail in the Supreme Court following a horror crash in Sydney’s south that claimed five lives. Picture: Facebook

Mr Edwards was charged with five counts of dangerous driving occasioning death – driving in a manner dangerous.

Less than 48 hours after the crash, the 18-year-old was refused bail at Picton Local Court by Magistrate Mark Douglass, who referenced his history of speeding and multiple licence suspensions.

He will now face the NSW Supreme Court on Monday as he begins the process for a new bid for his release.

Police will allege in court that in the moments following the crash, witnesses reported hearing Mr Edwards say, “I f — ked up, I’m going to jail”.

Summer Williams.

Tyrese Bechard.

Gabriella McLennan.

Lily Van De Putte.

According to court documents, police located a video on Mr Edwards’ phone taken roughly an hour before the crash that showed him driving dangerously while travelling at speeds of around 90 km/h.

Mr Edwards is seen holding his phone with one hand while “purposely and aggressively” turning the wheel with the other as the vehicle swerves “violently”, court documents state.

At the time only the two male victims were in the car. They can be heard laughing and yelling with loud music in the background.

One of the passengers can be heard saying: “We’re going to spin out cuz.”

Antonio Desisto was killed in the crash. He is pictured left with driver Tyrell Edwards on the right.

During his bail hearing in the Local Court, prosecutors said the footage displayed a “high level of moral culpability” regarding Mr Edwards’ role in the crash that would follow.

“The footage supports the elements of the offences that would see the accused serving a full-time custodial sentence,” prosecutor Sharon Garvutt said.

The court was told Mr Edwards’ had his provisional licence suspended twice for speeding in just over a year.

On both occasions the teenager lost his licence for three months for travelling between 10 and 20 km/h over the speed limit.

Despite Mr Edwards having no criminal history, Mr Douglass said he had concerns about him abiding by bail conditions.

Mobile phone footage captured Mr Edwards driving recklessly in the lead-up to the crash, according to court documents. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The court was also told Mr Edwards suffered from anxiety in the past and was “significantly traumatised” by the incident.

According to police facts, the cab of the ute was torn open by the severity of the impact and the rear passenger seat ejected from the vehicle.

“The four passengers in the rear seat were ejected from the vehicle and located a short distance away,” police facts said.

Following the crash, Mr Edwards was taken to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory blood and alcohol testing before being released into the care of his mother.

According to police, an initial breath test conducted at the scene was negative.

In a preliminary interview with police, Mr Edwards claimed the crash had been caused by a steering fault within the vehicle that he described as “shaking, going left to right”, according to court documents.

Police facts stated that this account was inconsistent with evidence from the scene.

The court heard Mr Edwards had his licence suspended twice for speeding. Picture: John Grainger

Emergency services were called to the intersection of Orange Rd and East Parade, Buxton, at around 8pm on Monday.

Images of the crash site show an obliterated vehicle, next to which Mr Edwards was found with non-life threatening injuries.

Three teenage girls – two aged 14 and one aged 15 – and two teenage boys – one aged 15 and one aged 16 – died at the scene.

Acting Inspector Jason Hogan, from the metropolitan crash investigation unit, described the scene as “confronting”.

“At this stage, we are investigating all lines of inquiry, but our preliminary investigations would indicate that speed is a possible factor in relation to this crash,” he said.

Police have appealed for any information or dashcam footage which could assist with their inquiries.

Originally published as Tyrrell Edwards to fight for bail in NSW Supreme Court following Buxton crash