Akram Chaudry: Newport cabbie charged over death of Manly great grandmother Dorothy Hales in taxi crash
A Sydney cabbie has been charged 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
Manly
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A northern beaches cabbie has been charged over the death of one of his passengers who died 12 days after his taxi collided with another car.
Akram Chaudry, 56, of Newport, 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, from injuries caused by the collision, according to documents tendered to the court on Thursday.
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.
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 n the facts sheet. They were taken by ambulance to RNS.
Passengers in the Tesla received minor injuries.
Mr Hakes 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 states.
Mts Hales died on Thursday, December 15.
“The cause of death has been recorded as delirium and aspiration pneumonia due to cervical spine fractures caused by the motor vehicle accident,” police stated in the facts sheet.
Magistrate Robyn Denes adjourned the matter for sentence in Manly Local Court on November 15.
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