Akram Chaudry: Newport cabbie avoids jail over death of Manly great grandmother Dorothy Hales in taxi crash

A Sydney cabbie has been sentenced over the death of a great grandmother who was a passenger in his taxi when it collided with another car. See what happened in court.

Taxi driver Akram Chaudry, 56, of Newport, with his solicitor outside Manly Local Court on September 28 where he pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving occasioning death in relation to the death of a 98-year-old woman who was a passenger on his cab when it crashed at Mosman in December, 2022. Picture: Manly Daily

A northern beaches cabbie has avoided jail over the death of one of his passengers who died after his taxi crashed into another car.

Akram Chaudry, 56, of Newport, had pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court to one count of negligent driving occasioning death in the crash at Mosman late last year.

Dorothy Hales, a 98-year-old great grandmother from Manly, died in Royal North Shore Hospital on December 15 — 12 days after she was injured in the collision.

Mrs Hales was the front seat passenger when Akram’s Toyota Tarago slammed into the rear of a Tesla stopped on Military Rd at 11am on Saturday, December 3.

Taxi driver Akram Chaudry, 56, of Newport, outside Manly Local Court. Picture: Manly Daily

In court documents, police outlined the events leading to her death.

Police stated in a facts sheet that Akram was driving his cab west in lane two on Military Rd, when it collided with rear of the Tesla, near the intersection with Spit Rd. The Tesla had come to a stop to allow a car in front of it to reverse into a kerbside parking space.

Mrs Hales was in the cab along with another passenger, in the back seat, Simon Hales, 29.

Akram told police he was travelling at between 30-40km/h “when the cars suddenly stopped”, according to the facts sheet.

The taxi’s airbags deployed on impact.

“Due to the collision (Mrs Hales) felt pain in her neck and (Mr Hales) suffered chest pain” police stated in the facts sheet. They were taken by ambulance to RNS.

Occupants of the Tesla received minor injuries.

Akram Chaudry, 56, of Newport, was sentenced in Manly Local Court on November 15. He was handed an 18-month good behaviour order and disqualified from driving for 12 months. (AAP IMAGE / MONIQUE HARMER)

Mr Hales was discharged from hospital that evening, but, according to the facts sheet, Mrs Hales was initially found to have lung crepitations and severe neck pain.

Subsequent assessments revealed that she had fractured two vertebrae in her spine, at the base of her neck, had an epidural haematoma (bleeding on the brain) and had developed aspiration pneumonia and severe delirium.

“Her health deteriorated and she was placed in palliative care,” the facts sheet stated.

“The cause of death has been recorded as delirium and aspiration pneumonia due to cervical spine fractures caused by the motor vehicle accident.”

Magistrate Robyn Denes handed Chaudry a Community Correction Order to be of good behaviour for 18 months.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.