Police renew calls for safety as Sydney’s Christmas holiday road toll rises to four

POLICE are warning motorists it takes one second of inattention, or one bad decision to end in tragedy, following the death of four pedestrians on Sydney roads over Christmas.

A scene from a crash on Marshall Lane, St Leonards where an 86-year-old pedestrian was killed on December 20. Picture: Virginia Young

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EACH person killed on Sydney’s roads over the Christmas holidays was a pedestrian, sparking dire but vital warnings for the city’s motorists.

A 73-year-old man killed in a hit and run at Condell Park yesterday brings Sydney’s road toll to four since the holiday police safety operation began on December 19.

Authorities say the victim had left a home when he was struck by a white Toyota as he crossed Clarence St to get into his car.

A CCTV still of yesterday’s fatal hit and run at Condell Park.

It comes after a woman, 33, was struck by a car while cycling at Kuring-gai on Christmas Day.

Two other pedestrians were killed in separate crashes in Guildford and St Leonards on December 18 and 20.

Traffic and Highway Patrol assistant commissioner Michael Corboy was dismayed at the statistics.

“That is four families that have lost a loved one,” he said.

The scene of the hit and run that killed 66-year old grandmother Javaher Rahimi at Guildford on December 18. Picture: Justin Sanson

“The message needs to get through to drivers that it only takes one second of inattention, or one bad decision to end in tragedy”.

“Every fatal crash takes its toll. It takes a toll on emergency service personnel who attend a crash site, on the treating doctors, on the police who have to tell a family they have lost someone, but most of all it takes a toll on a family who have lost someone forever”.

The crashes bring the state’s road toll to 10 over Christmas, six less than this time last year.

An elderly driver hit a pedestrian in Marshall Lane, St Leonards on December 20. Picture: Virginia Young

More than 680 people have been charged with drink-driving, 14,327 people have been caught speeding and 1154 major crashes have been reported.

Double demerits remain in place until Monday for speeding, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet, and mobile phone offences.

CHRISTMAS ROAD TOLL

■ Condell Park — Zac Andreou, 73, was pinned between his ute door and the van outside his Clarence St home about 4pm yesterday, before the driver allegedly fled the scene

■ Grafton — A boy, 10, died in a two-car head on collision on the Pacific Hwy yesterday, 32km north east of Grafton.

■ Gilgandra — Jana Bailey, 24, was killed when her ute spiralled and flipped on a road north of Dubbo on December 27. Her three-year-old daughter, also in the car, was placed in an induced coma, police said.

■ Marlee — Codi Hollis, 26, was lost control of his ute and slammed into a tree on Bulga Rd about 3am on December 27.

■ Casino — a woman, 67, was killed after her car collided with another vehicle north of Casino on Christmas Day.

■ Upper Hunter — A woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the Golden Hwy, Merriwa on December 24.

■ St Leonards — An 86-year-old woman died after being hit by a car and trapped against a fence in St Leonards on December 20.

■ Kuring-gai — A 33-year-old woman was cycling on Mona Vale Rd on December 18 when she was hit by a car.

■ Guildford — Javaher Rahimi, 66, died in hospital after she was struck while crossing Hawksview St in Guildford on December 18.

■ Bathurst — A man, aged in his 20s, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Bathurst on December 17.