Three dead as car flips and catches fire in Sydney’s CBD

THE survivor of a high-speed crash in which three people burned to death in Sydney’s CBD was once in a coma after another accident when he was a teenager.

• ‘No consoling those poor families’: Brother killed in explosion

THREE people trapped in an upside down $200,000 supercar screamed for help as they burnt to death when the car erupted in flames after the driver lost control and crashed on a Sydney CBD street.

A fourth person was dragged unconscious from the passenger seat of the Nissan GT-R R35 by police officers and is in intensive care.

Four officers arrived at the wrecked car minutes after witnesses heard it crash, apparently hitting a railing and flipping on its roof about 3am on Saturday at the intersection of Harbour and Pier streets.

The horrific scene in Pier Street last night. Picture: Steve Tyson

Police tend to a victim. Picture: Michael Coleman

Crash scene minutes after impact. Picture: Michael Coleman

The officers, including two probationary constables, managed to pull father-of-four Joseph Bagala, 39, out of the car, before it was engulfed in flames.

But they could not save two men and a woman, who were burnt to death inside the two door car beside the Novotel Rockford hotel.

Shaken witnesses told of hearing screams coming from the smashed car — a ­supercar with a top speed of 311km/h which can reach 100km/h in just 2.7 seconds — as police and bystanders tried to save those inside.

Novotel Rockford guest Sonia Ripepi was woken by a huge bang and saw the car flipped over on the street outside her window.

“Then a taxi driver pulled over and he jumped out trying to get the passengers out,” she said. “He was screaming ‘get out, get out’. The taxi driver was really distressed, he couldn’t get any closer to the car. There were lots of screams still coming out of the car.”

Ms Ripepi said it was only a matter of minutes before the car was completely engulfed. Witnesses told police they spotted the car speeding down Goulburn St moments before the crash.

Police and fire brigades officers at the scene in Pier Street early today. Picture: Steve Tyson

A police officer pulled a seriously injured man from the car. Picture: Steve Tyson

The car appeared to have hit a guard rail near the Novotel Hotel before catching fire. Picture: Steve Tyson

The road is sealed off as investigations begin into the crash. Picture: Steve Tyson

Police at the crash scene early today.

Sydney City Local Area Command Superintendent Paul Pisanos said the police officers put their own welfare on the line to try to extinguish a volatile fire and save lives.

Police on Saturday were still trying to identify the three people who died.

Peter Sergeant was also staying at the Novotel when he was woken and told to evacuate because of smoke from the blazing wreck

The burnt-out car is taken from the scene of a fatal car crash on Harbour Street, Darling Harbour.

Car crash survivor Joseph Bagala.

“We saw a group of people dragging someone along the footpath so I assumed it was someone injured. He wasn’t conscious, I wasn’t even sure he was alive,” he said.

Mr Bagala suffered horrific injuries, including broken ribs and bleeding on the brain. He remained in intensive care at St Vincent’s Hospital on Saturday afternoon but was conscious.

Remarkably it is the second time he has survived a serious car accident — in his late teens he was placed into a coma following a bad crash.

However his brother died in a separate serious car crash, a friend said.

Mr Bagala is listed as the director of a construction company and a Western Sydney turf business.

Guests at the nearby Novotel hotel were evacuated.

Novotel hotel guests huddle in the cold after being evacuated.

“The sad part about it is...somewhere I would imagine across Sydney there are people waking up, their sons and daughter haven’t arrived home from a night out in the city,” Superintendent Pisanos said.

“At this stage there are probably people out there that don’t even realise yet that they have lost a son or daughter or a brother or sister in relation to a car accident.”

It was quite clear considerable speed was involved, Superintendent Pisanos added.

Shaken witnesses have recalled hearing screams coming from the smashed car as police and bystanders tried to save those inside.

Novotel Rockford guest Sonia Ripepi was woken by a huge bang and saw the car flipped over on the street outside her window.

“Then a taxi driver pulled over and he jumped out trying to get the passengers out,” she said.

“He was screaming ‘get out, get out’.

“He pulled one guy out of the car before it was engulfed in flames.

“The taxi driver was really distressed, he couldn’t get any closer to the car.

“There was lots of screams still coming out of the car.”

The road remained sealed off at 7am as police continued their investigation.

Ms Ripepi said it was only a matter of minutes before the car was completely engulfed in flames.

Peter Sergeant was also staying at the hotel when he was woken up and told to evacuate immediately.

“It was around 3am there was a great bang,” he said.

“I thought it might have been an explosion and then I saw the fire below my window.

“We saw a group of people dragging someone along the footpath so I assumed it was someone injured.

“He wasn’t conscious, I wasn’t even sure he was alive.”

Michael Coleman said he thought there was a fight happening outside the hotel because of all the yelling.

“...there was a lot of blokes yelling and agro sort of voices,” he said.

“I went over to the window to have a look, thinking there was a fight or something, and I heard the car screeching and crashed I tot he building.

“I didn’t realise it was actually on fire until we walked (downstairs) and you could see the car on its roof.”

The blackened wreckage of the car was towed from the busy intersection about 11am after forensic police spent several hours examining the damage.

Police say it is still no clear what the relationship was between the occupants and who was driving.