Kellyville teen hit by car in vape deal gone wrong

A teenage boy has been found in Sydney’s north-west with serious head injuries after being hit by a car when a deal involving stolen vapes went wrong.

A meeting to buy vapes in the dead of night ended in tragedy when a high school student fell under the wheels of a moving 4WD as it drove away with the allegedly stolen e-cigarettes.

Police believe the teen had arranged to meet someone outside his home in Kellyville in Sydney’s northwest on Monday night to sell them vapes.

Four males pulled up in a Holden Colorado SUV around 10pm and police believe 18-year-old Thomas Hayward jumped out armed with a knife and snatched the vapes without paying.

He allegedly got back in the car before it drove off.

A teenage boy was found seriously injured lying on a Kellyville street in Sydney’s north west lon Monday night. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Detectives now believe something caused the alleged victim to tragically fall to the ground, into the path of the car’s back wheel as it drove away.

He sustained severe skull fractures and internal bleeding. He was rushed by ambulance to Westmead Hospital where he underwent numerous surgeries on Tuesday.

His distraught parents were by his side, unsure if he would survive - his condition was yesterday listed as critical and unstable.

Police were told the carload of young males - aged between 18 and 20 - drove a short distance away where from where the boy was struck before Hayward allegedly got out.

The other three returned to render assistance to the critically injured teen.

The street in Kellyville where the incident happened. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

After an early-morning appeal by police Tuesday, Hayward handed himself in at Windsor Police Station at 12pm and was charged with the offence intent to rob armed with offensive weapon.

He was denied police bail to front Penrith Local Court on Wednesday.

The other three males in the car have not been charged.

Castle Hill Detective Inspector Chris Laird said all avenues were open in terms of what might have caused the teenager fall under the car.

“There seemed to be a dispute over it, the car has driven off and the 17-year-old has gone underneath the car and has suffered serious injuries,” Det-Insp Laird said.

“This poor boy has been seriously injured and we owe it to him to pursue all lines of inquiry; we‘ll be open to a motor vehicle accident or something more sinister, but we don’t want to rule anything out.”

Police believe the incident happened in a vape deal gone wrong. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

He said it was possible the three men who returned, including the driver, did not realise the teenager had been hit at the time they drove away.

“We’ve spoken to three occupants of the car and they’re very shocked as to what’s happened ... it’s a tragic incident that’s occurred essentially over nothing, the purchase of vapes.”

Given the seriousness of the teen’s injuries, Det-Insp Laird said help from the public and any dashcam or CCTV could be critical to establishing the facts of the case and answers for the boy’s traumatised family.

“From what I’m told the young man may not be able to tell us what actually happened so we just need the community to us what happened,” he said.
“They‘d be quite distraught, he only turned 17 the other day.

“It’s a difficult time for anyone to be involved in a tragic, traumatic injury and we’ll keep in touch with them.”

The victim’s family moved to Sydney in 2006 where friends said they were a wonderful fit in The Hills shire community.

The road was still stained with the boy’s blood outside their neat, two-storey pale brick home yesterday.

“They’re a good family ... he’s a good kid, not rowdy or anything,” neighbour Charlie Moraza said.

“His friends would come with bikes but that’s about it.
“I really hope he pulls through.”

Police have not ruled out laying further charges over the boy’s injuries.

Vaping – the smoking of liquid nicotine through tiny electronic devices - has boomed in popularity in recent years particularly in the youth and people trying to quit cigarettes.

It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes containing nicotine in NSW.

The Therapeutic Good Administration announced this month anyone wanting to import vapes from October 1, 2021 this year will need a prescription from a GP.