Two women escape horrifying crash as car is split in two
Mariam Yousif, 21, and her best friend Sarah Batto, 20, are lucky to be alive after they were pulled from the wreckage of Mariam’s Mitsubishi Lancer when it crashed into a power pole in Smithfield — splitting the car in two.
The family of a young woman who walked away from a high-impact crash that split her car in two can’t believe she survived.
Mariam Yousif, 21, and her best friend Sarah Batto, 20, were pulled from the wreckage of Mariam’s Mitsubishi Lancer after it crashed into a power pole in Smithfield in Sydney’s south west on Friday night.
Mariam told her parents she lost control of her car in the rain and tried to brake before she slammed into the pole on the Cumberland Hwy about 8.20pm.
When emergency services arrived, they found Mariam’s prized car had been completely split in half and flames engulfed the bonnet.
According to Traffic and Highway Patrol Inspector Phil Brooks, Sarah, who was the front seat passenger, went through the front windscreen while Mariam managed to climb out of the wreckage.
“It was quite a challenging situation for police, ambulance and fire and rescue when they came on scene this car was literally wrapped around the pole,” Insp Brooks said.
However, Mariam’s father Wail Yousif said a passer-by helped the girls out of the car and stayed with them until paramedics arrived.
The Good Samaritan managed to get Mariam, who was suffering shock, to tell him her father’s mobile phone number so he could call her family.
“He helped the girls and to him I say thank you because he saved their lives,” Mr Yousif said today from Fairfield.
“I ran down there and couldn’t believe what I had found. When I saw that car I thought no one could come out of it.”
Sister Jessica Yousif said: “I lost it, I was calling her friends and no one answered and I woke my brother up to tell him.”
In distraught scenes, Mr Yousif comforted his traumatised wife, Nahrin, as she looked at her daughter’s mangled car on the corner of the Cumberland Hwy and Percival Rd.
She sat on the kerb in tears and in the rain as a police officer attempted to console her.
In the background, paramedics were loading Sarah and Mariam, long time friends who had planned to go to Parramatta for coffee on Friday night, on to stretchers.
“My wife can’t believe they are still alive when you see the car. It’s not easy for mum and dad to see this,” Mr Yousif said.
Despite the impact of the crash, Sarah suffered a fractured nose and Mariam spent the night in hospital under observation with aches and pains to her limbs.
Mariam’s family hopes she will be released from Liverpool Hospital tomorrow while Sarah remained in a stable condition today.
Mr Yousif still doesn’t know the identity of the hero that helped the girls out of the burning vehicle.
“I want to thank him for giving my daughter and her friend a chance,” he said.
“I want to visit him and say thank you and thank all of the emergency services involved.”
As his family prepared to visit Mariam in hospital today, he had a warning for drivers of all ages “drive safely and get back home safe so you can see your family as well”.
Mr Brooks said the two girls could have added to the 15 lives that had been lost on NSW in the past 12 days.
“At least these two young ladies got to go home after be treated,” he said.
“Sadly did 15 families this year they are realising the pain and suffering of losing a loved one on our roads.”
Officers from Cumberland Police Area Command are investigating the crash.
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