Dad Darren Milne may have driven car into tree at Berkeley Vale deliberately, say police
A SYDNEY father may have deliberately driven his car into a tree, killing his wife and eldest son and leaving his youngest son critical, police believe.
NSW
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A SYDNEY father may have deliberately driven his car into a tree, killing his wife and eldest son and leaving his youngest son critically injured, NSW police believe.
Darren and Susana Milne were killed instantly when their silver Toyota station wagon crashed into a tree at Berkeley Vale, on the Central Coast, on Sunday afternoon.
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Their 11-year-old son Liam died at the scene, despite desperate attempts to save him, while his younger brother Ben, aged 7, was flown to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and placed in an induced coma.
Police say he suffered head, back and internal injuries and is believed to be undergoing surgery today.
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The Daily Telegraph understands crash investigators found evidence at the scene, believed to be photographs, that suggested the crash may have been deliberate.
The family was heading north on Enterprise Dr about 12.20pm when it veered off the road travelling about 100km/h and crashed into the tree. Witnesses said the vehicle did not appear to brake before the impact, which caused the tree trunk to smash through the engine bay.
Detectives investigating the crash executed a search warrant at the family’s Ryde home yesterday. They searched a car parked out the front and removed a GPS, as well as computers, financial records and other personal belongings from the home.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash to determine whether it was a deliberate act or the result of driver inattention. “Investigations into the crash and the events leading up to it continue,” a police spokesman said.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted today and a report prepared for the coroner.
Mr Milne’s aunt was contacted by police on Sunday afternoon and rushed to hospital to be by the young boy’s side as he fights for life.
His father is travelling back to Sydney from Myanmar after being notified of the crash. Police were yesterday trying to make contact with Ms Milne’s family in Mexico.
Neighbours say the family moved in about three years ago but were quiet and mostly kept to themselves.
“It’s awful, it’s just so sad. I heard the family was from Sydney but never imagined they would be my neighbours. It’s very close to home,” a neighbour said.
Both boys attended a nearby public school that catered to the eldest son’s special needs.
It has been reported Ms Milne, a full-time carer to the boys, was pregnant with the couple’s third child when she was killed. Mr Milne was a senior engineer with Ausgrid.
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