Crows Nest: Vansh Khanna, Uber driver, pleads guilty over hit-and-run of three boys

Shocking details have emerged in the court case involving an Uber Eats driver – on an international licence – who hit three Sydney schoolboys on a crossing before fleeing the scene.

A novice Uber Eats driver, in a hurry to deliver a Subway sandwich and a roast chicken and chips, ploughed into three boys on a Sydney pedestrian crossing before fleeing the scene.

Vansh Khanna, 18, who had only been in Australia for three months and was on an international licence, drove off after ploughing into the schoolboys on the Pacific Highway at Crows Nest – throwing them into the air.

Instead of stopping to check on the year 7 students from North Sydney Boys High, including one who suffered a badly broken leg that needed complicated surgery, Khanna turned into a side street and used his mobile phone to call his mother in India.

Dashcam footage of the moment just three schoolboys were hit by Vansh Khanna’s Uber Eats car on the Pacific Highway at Crows Nest on May 18. Source: Supplied

Witnesses told police they saw the boys flung into the air and land on the road after being hit by the front of the Honda Accord Euro that Khanna was driving at 3.30pm on May 18.

The delivery driver than drove to where he was staying, a relative’s home in Lane Cove. But police had arrived there first, and he was arrested.

The shocking details of the incident were revealed when Khanna, in Australia on a student visa to study IT at Macquarie University, pleaded guilty to five charges, including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – drive manner dangerous, in Manly Local Court on Thursday.

The court has previously heard that boys were crossing on a green pedestrian signal at the intersection of Falcon St and the Pacific Highway, when the car hit them.

Vansh Khanna, leaves Manly police station after being granted bail by police on May 19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the boys – one aged 13 and two aged 12 – at the scene.

The 13-year-old boy was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital with a fractured right leg.

One of the 12-year-olds suffered a broken collarbone. The third boy had minor injuries.

Khanna has also pleaded guilty to two counts of cause bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle; one count of fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm and; fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury.

Vansh Khanna, 18, at Manly Local Court on June 8. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

In Manly Local Court on Thursday Mr Khanna’s solicitor Hemant Prakhash said the guilty pleas were entered after representations about a total of seven charges had been made to police investigating the incident.

In a facts sheet tendered to court police stated that on the day of the collision Khanna had started his delivery duties at 11.30am.

At 3.15pm, he went to the Subway outlet at Artarmon to collect an order to be delivered to North Sydney. He then went to Roaster Chicken at Artarmon for a food delivery to Chatswood.

At 3.30pm, as he was travelling south on the Pacific Highway at Crows Nest, the traffic lights at the intersection with Falcon St turned red.

Vansh Khanna (right) , 18, of Lane Cove, with his sister, outside Manly Local Court on Thursday, July 20 Picture: Jim O'Rourke

According to the facts sheet, the three boys ran out onto the crossing, on a green pedestrian light, from the eastern kerb.

The traffic control signals facing Khanna were red for five seconds and “the accused failed to stop, only braking just prior to impacting with the (boys).”

Police stated Khanna then made a left hand turn soon after “where he contacted his mother in India”.

When police spoke to him at Lane Cove, he told officers “that he knew he had hit something”.

In an interview at Chatswood police station, according to the facts sheet, Khanna “made admissions to being in a hurry to deliver the Uber Eats”.

He also said he “saw the red light and the green light for the pedestrians, however it was my mistake that this occurred”.

Magistrate Denes adjourned the matters for sentence to Manly Local Court on November 2. August 31.

Mr Khanna’s bail, which included surrendering his passport, was continued.