Libby Ruge, 19, killed when car hits pedestrians outside Wollongong nightclub
A 19-year-old woman killed when a car struck her and her friends on the footpath outside a Wollongong club overnight has been identified as an “amazing” and “beautiful” performing arts school graduate.
Illawarra Star
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Young and beautiful, Libby Ruge was enjoying a Saturday night out with her boyfriend and mates like any other 19-year-old when the unimaginable happened.
Just as the group of friends wandered along Flinders Street near a club in Wollongong a Toyota Camry allegedly ploughed into them, throwing the four into the air on impact before smashing into a power pole about 10.30pm
Ms Ruge, 19, suffered critical head and internal injuries while another teen girl, 18, and a man, 21, were also injured and rushed to Wollongong Hospital.
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Police said the alleged driver of the Camry, an 18-year-old male, slammed into a pole before hitting the group.
Arpan Sharma, a 21-year-old man who police say was the front seat passenger of the Camry, was taken to Wollongong police station and charged on Sunday with a string of serious offences including dangerous driving occasioning death.
Police will allege in court Sharma pulled the Camry’s handbrake up prior to the crash. He will face Wollongong Local Court on Monday.
Ms Ruge was declared dead upon arrival at hospital a short time later. Her boyfriend Luke Day, 20, escaped injury during the incident but was hospitalised.
Ms Ruge’s heartbroken mother said in a statement though a friend that her daughter “touched everybody that she met”.
“She had an amazing future with her boyfriend Luke,” the mother said.
Kosta Skrapis, Ms Ruge’s boxing coach at Wollongong’s Adapt Academy, became emotional at the scene of the crash on Sunday and said he was in disbelief.
“Libby was an amazing girl that was just so thoughtful of everyone else around her, she was a kid – being 19 I still see that as a kid – she just used to think about everyone else around her,” he said.
“I’m lost right now … she’d come in and bring gifts for everyone just because she was that kind of girl.
“I’m just lost for words … her vibe was infectious and everybody around her loved her and still will … (she’s) someone taken way too soon from something that shouldn’t have happened.”
The alleged driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Wollongong Hospital where he remained under police guard Sunday evening.
Police said he had not been charged over the incident at this stage and were investigating whether drugs or alcohol had allegedly played a role.
A second passenger in the car was also spoken to by police.
Chief Inspector Geoffrey Olsen described the incident as a tragedy, saying the group had been enjoying a night out together when they were hit.
“It’s a tragic event and from what I understand they’d been out together socialising and they were simply walking home or to another venue - it’s terrible,” he said.
“(Ms Ruge’s) family were spoken to, they were at the scene last night … (they’re) devastated of course.”
NSW Ambulance Acting Superindendent Oliver Aleman said paramedics worked desperately to try and save Ms Ruge at the scene.
“We tried to resuscitate her on scene but the head injuries that occurred … made the patient very critical,” he said.
“The patients were propelled several metres from the car.”
Ms Ruge, who was living in Kiama, graduated from Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts last year and had recently started work as a dental assistant at South Coast Smiles while on a gap year.
In an online tribute, one of her friends said she was “fun, sweet and real”.
“The world is so unfair to take the best people. Thank you so much for the best times,” the friend wrote.
“I always loved you because you were so fun, sweet and real.”