Police pursuit tragedy: Tateolena Tauaifaga’s dad reveals horror of the day his daughter died

TATEOLENA Tauaifaga was killed when a car being pursued by police crashed through her yard. Her father’s police statement reveals the toddler’s final moments.

IT is a father’s heartbreaking recollection of the moment his daughter was taken from him forever in the one place she should have been safest.

Topaz Hunia’s 17-month-old daughter Tateolena was playing with her siblings in the back yard of their home at the end of a cul-de-sac.

But Mr Hunia was helpless to keep the dangers of the outside world intruding into his home.

A stolen Audi A4 crashed through his front fence, ripping a path through his yard, before smashing through his back fence with at least one police 4WD in pursuit.

As Mr Hunia surveyed the carnage, he saw the tiny body of ­Tateolena — killed after being hit by either the Audi, the police vehicle, or both.

Mr Hunia’s statement to police, made on January 23, gives the full account of the horrifying incident in the back yard of the family home in Bessbrook Way, Constitution Hill, where he lives with ­Tateolena’s mother Helena Tauaifaga.

Tateolena Tauaifaga, aged 17 months, was struck by a car as she played in her backyard, and later died.

One of the most shocking moments as he tried to save his daughter, known as Talena, was to find a masked, black-clad officer toting a machine-gun standing near him. He told police: “I remember screaming, ‘help me, help me, somebody help me’. I went straight to my daughter and I was trying to check her pulse, but my hands were shaking so much and … I couldn’t even remember how to carry out CPR.

“I saw a guy in a black outfit with a helmet and mask covering his mouth. He was carrying a machine-type gun.

“I yelled at him ‘what the f… are you doing?’

“He put his hand up and said, ‘it wasn’t us’.”

In the weeks since Tateolena was killed, the family has been overwhelmed by the support it has received.

Ms Tauaifaga said yesterday: “We would like to ­express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to our family and friends, people that we know and those that we do not know, who offered support and sympathy after the tragic events surrounding the loss of our princess.

“Although Tateolena is no longer physically with us, we draw strength in knowing that her spirit will continue to live on and that she will ­always be around us.”

Topaz Hunia pictured near the memorial set up for his daughter Tateolena Tauaifaga. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The family has engaged lawyer Ben Archbold and is lodging a claim with the Motor Accidents Authority.

They have not ruled out legal action against the police. “We will consider all options and at this stage the family want to hold to account any parties responsible,” Mr Archbold said.

But the events surrounding that terrible day will never leave them.

Mr Hunia told police he had been on the couch when he was startled by a loud bang, similar to a thunder, as the cars ploughed through the metal fence at 7pm on January 8. Police were trying to intercept the driver of the Audi, alleged to be Christopher Chandler.

“I could see cars going through my fence. I know there was a black car and a four-wheel-drive,” he said.

“Both cars then exited through the back fence and into the park.

“I ran out towards the hole in my fence, which now opened on to the park.

“I saw the cars driving through the park.”

Tateolena Tauaifaga was a joy to her family, who are struggling to come to terms with her tragic death.

The scene of the fatal crash at Constitution Hill. Picture: Bill Hearne

Mr Hunia then heard Ms Tauaifaga scream “our baby, our baby”, his statement said.

“I ran back to where she was standing. When I got there I saw Talena laying on the ground towards the middle of the yard,” he said.

“The other kids were screaming. My focus was on Talena as she was the only one I thought was hurt at that stage.”

As he looked up to see the masked police, two uniformed officers ran ­towards Mr Hunia and he said: “Please come and help me, help my baby”.

One applied a mask to ­Talena while the other was “pumping her chest” before the ambulance ­arrived.

Then a second ambulance ­arrived and took the toddler into emergency care.

“I told them I would stay calm but asked to be close to my child,” Mr Hunia said.

“The ambulance took off with Talena and I went with the rapid ­response vehicle to the hospital.”

They arrived at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, where doctors worked to save her. “All I remember seeing is my baby on the bed with a team of nurses and doctors trying to save her,” he said.

Ms Tauaifaga arrived soon after and the couple waited in hope. But the heartbreaking news came at 8.30pm.

“The doctor told me they had done everything they could do and that Talena had passed away,” he said.

“They left us some time to grieve with our daughter.

“We didn’t leave the hospital until after midnight.”

Some family snaps of Tateolena.

Some family snaps of Tateolena.

The official cause of her death is yet to be determined.

The Audi sedan had been stolen from Kingsford earlier that day and a convoy of police vehicles had pursued it to the dead-end on Bessbrook Way, where it ripped through Mr Hunia’s side yard fence and into the back yard.

Two other children were hit in the incident. They were also taken to hospital and one was treated after complaining of a headache.

The car then smashed through the rear fence and escaped through Richill Park, forcing locals to dive out of the way. A police 4WD drove the same path in pursuit, Mr Hunia said in his statement.

Mr Chandler, 22, was arrested six days later at a Central Coast property. He faces multiple charges, ­including manslaughter, aggravated dangerous driving causing death, Skye’s Law, furious ­driving causing bodily harm and reckless driving.

Mr Hunia also ­revealed he knew Mr Chandler before the tragic incident.

Statement from the Tauaifaga family

"We would just like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to our family and friends, people that we know and those that we do not know, who offered support and sympathy after the tragic events surrounding the loss of our little princess, Tateolena.

We would especially like to thank those that attended and offered their condolences, love and support. We are truly blessed by the outpouring of support that we received during this difficult time.

Although Tateolena is no longer physically with us, we draw strength in knowing that her spirit will continue to live on and that she will always be around us.

We now look forward to the coronial inquest and we hope and trust that those responsible for our tragic loss will be held accountable for their actions."