Two on motor scooter die in horrific crash in Kingsgrove
Two men on a scooter were killed on a food delivery run when a bus driver, who was allegedly distracted by his phone, slammed into them from behind hurling them into the path of an oncoming four-wheel drive in Sydney’s south.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Bus driver ‘distracted’ for 700m before crash, police say
- Man severely injured after alleged drag race crash
Two men on a scooter were killed on a food delivery run when a bus driver, who was allegedly distracted by his phone, slammed into them from behind hurling them into the path of an oncoming four-wheel drive in Sydney’s south.
Kuan-Wei Chen, 28, and his a pillion passenger Su-Po Hsu, 32, were stopped on Kingsgrove Rd, Kingsgrove, ready to turn right into Vivienne St when they were struck by the bus at 8.05pm on Monday.
MORE NEWS
Real reason Yumi Stynes pulled out of Studio 10
Denim hotpants land DUI driver in hot water
Tom Burgess expecting baby with model girlfriend
As they waited for a gap in traffic, Luis Rojas, 49, who was driving the bus from the Transit Systems depot at Kingsgrove to Hurstville to begin the 491 route to Earlwood, allegedly rear-ended the pair at speed, pushing them into the path of an oncoming 4WD.
Both men were crushed by the car and died at the scene.
Police charged the 48-year-old driver with dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death, using a mobile phone when not permitted and not properly wearing a seatbelt.
Police allege Rojas did not brake before the collision.
Sutherland Local Court yesterday heard CCTV of the bus allegedly captured Rojas fiddling with his phone and looking at his side mirrors as he was distracted for 700m before ploughing into the pair.
“The defendant through his inattentive behaviour as alleged has run up the back of two people in the community going about their business, turning right … causing two fatalities,” Magistrate Jayeann Carney told the court.
Rojas was previously found guilty of using a mobile phone while driving in 2002, in addition to other minor traffic offences.
Prosecutors said they would not oppose bail on the condition Rajos be forbidden from driving, yet Ms Carney still denied him bail.
“There would be an unacceptable risk he would endanger the community,” Ms Carney said.
“I’m satisfied on the balance of probabilities that he could commit a serious offence.”
Witnesses described the horrific scene and the anguish of the young woman driving the white 4WD that hit the men.
“She wasn’t crying at first but when I asked if she was OK she broke down — it looked like her soul left her body,” Kaylan Makouk said.
“No one even came over to her help, none of the paramedics. She was just standing next to the road crying.
“She felt like she was at fault when she wasn’t there was nothing she could do.”
UberEats could not confirm if the scooter driver was using their platform or another food delivery platform at the time of the crash.
“This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of these two men,” an Uber spokeswoman said
Rojas will reappear on March 26.