Police say mother took blame for accident but son had been driving
A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over the hit-and-run death of a student in Waterloo but not before his mother tried to tell police she was the one behind the wheel.
NSW
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A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over the hit-and-run death of a student in Waterloo but not before his mother tried to tell police she was the one behind the wheel.
Yang Hao, 20, was crossing Lachlan St just metres from her home when she was hit by a car and thrown into oncoming traffic in the opposing lane at 2pm on Thursday.
She was rushed St Vincent’s Hospital, where she died.
Police said the driver of the Kia Rio hatchback did not stop to help her and drove off.
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It is understood Ms Hao lived with friends in an apartment block on the same street.
Yesterday police attended a home in Dapto, near Wollongong, at 10.45am and arrested the mother of the man charged over Ms Hao’s death.
A police source said the 50-year-old woman told police she was behind the wheel but they did not believe her and charged her with hindering police, making a false statement and intending to pervert the course of justice.
A short time later her son attended Wollongong Police Station and was arrested.
He was charged with five offences namely dangerous driving occasioning death, failing to stop and assist after vehicle impacts causing death and driving while suspended.
The pair was refused bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court today.
One witness said Ms Hao had been using her phone when she crossed the road.
“One man was comforting her on the street while another tried to give her CPR,” a witness said.
“She had really bad injuries to her head … she wasn’t moving. Afterwards, I had to take people over the road to wash the blood off their clothes.”
It is understood Ms Hao was a student who lived with friends in an apartment block on the same street.
Police collected phones from people at the scene and appealed for anyone with dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.
Residents said accidents were common along Lachlan St which has no pedestrian crossings or speed limit signs.
“There have been four pedestrians hit in the nine years I’ve worked here,” a local building manager said.
“They’re widening the road as well … this really can’t keep happening.”
Lachlan St is a popular link, busy all day, connecting the arterial roads Bourke St and the Eastern Distributor.