Orchard Hills fatal: Unlicensed driver Richard Moananu on 10 charges including two for manslaughter
UNLICENSED driver and father-of-four Richard Moananu was charged with two counts of manslaughter and a raft of other charges after allegedly slamming into a car killing Katherine Hoang, weeks away from giving birth to twins, and a teenage relative. Family and friends have paid tribute to the victims.
NSW
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THE unlicensed driver accused of slamming into a car killing a heavily pregnant woman and her teenage relative at more than 100kmh has been charged with two counts of manslaughter among a raft of charges.
Father-of-four Richard Moananu, 29, faced 10 charges and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court yesterday, after sustaining severe leg injuries when he allegedly veered onto the wrong side of the road at Orchard Hills on Friday night.
The crash killed Katherine Hoang, 23, the twin boys she was carrying and her 17-year-old relative driving the car Moananu allegedly hit head-on at more than 45 kms over the 60kmh limit on The Northern Rd at 7.40pm.
Mrs Hoang’s husband Bronko, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, is fighting for life in hospital unaware his wife and expectant sons are dead.
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Police could lay further charges over the death of Ms Hoang’s unborn babies following a post mortem, sources close to the investigation said.
“It is a grey area of the law and depends whether the unborn twins are classed as foetuses or children,” the source said.
Yesterday the teenage driver’s boyfriend said she was weeks away from sitting her HSC exams.
“She was a very beautiful girl who was a good and kind hearted friend to me and everyone. She always wanted to help anyone in need and wanted the best for everyone. She’ll always be in my heart and everyone’s,” he said.
Parramatta Bail Court heard Moananu, who works as a builder, was unlicensed. Two other cars had to take evasive action to avoid also crashing and the Glenmore Park man has been charged with injuring one of these drivers who suffered minor facial injures.
He didn’t apply for bail and will appear in Penrith Local Court on Thursday also facing charges of aggravated dangerous driving causing death, aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, causing bodily harm by misconduct by driving more than 45kms over the limit and driving without a licence.
Mrs Hoang was expecting to give birth in weeks after marrying her university sweetheart in April.
They met and fell in love at the Western Sydney University taekwondo club.
Club vice-president Hansel Rebello said Bronko, who’d recently started a new job in the disability sector, had an “infectiously vibrant outlook to life”.
“Katherine was a beautiful gentle soul who always had a smile on her face,” he said.
“Pull through Bronko, you have a lot of mates waiting for you.”
One of Katherine’s friends said people were “devastated and paralysed” by her death.
“Katherine, who liked being called Kate, was a smart, brilliant, funny, kind, loving friend who never had a bad word to say about anyone," Tom Cross said.
“Her passing along with two unborn twins is a senseless loss beyond words.”
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