Edgeworth maxi-taxi crash: Family of crash victim by her bedside as she fights for life
Family and friends of mum-of-three Tamika Wever have asked the public for online donations as they continue a bedside vigil for her following a serious car accident.
Newcastle
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The family of a young mum left with catastrophic head injuries when a teenage driver allegedly slammed into a maxi-taxi were last night refusing to give up hope she would survive.
Tamika Wever, 24, was on life support in John Hunter Hospital with her fiancé Dylan Whitey “praying for a miracle” by her bed, a friend said.
“Still fighting to survive to go home to her three babies,” Angie Smalley wrote on social media.
Ms Wever’s sister Tash Reid yesterday pleaded for the public to help Mr Whitey and the couple’s three young sons by donating to a fundraiser.
“This won’t make her better but it will help them financially in the hard times to come,” she wrote.
Ms Wever was one of 11 people injured in the horror smash at Edgeworth just after 1am on Saturday.
TEEN ACCUSED OF HITTING MUM HAD BEEN IN DRUNKEN SMASH
A teenager who allegedly ran a red light and crashed into a loaded maxi-taxi injuring 10 people in Lake Macquarie was on a good behaviour bond for crashing a stolen car while drunk less than two months ago.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified, had never held a licence when he was disqualified from driving, fined a total of $350 and placed on a 12-month bond for the August 2 incident in Merewether.
The boy had registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.099 when police arrived at the Merewether street about 8.55am on August 2 after receiving numerous reports from residents of a car speeding through the suburb for two hours.
Eight weeks later, the teen is accused of running a red light in a Holden Statesman packed with teenagers and crashing into a crowded maxi-taxi, the impact pushing the Hiace van onto its side.
Young mother-of-three Tamika Wever remained unconscious and in a critical condition in John Hunter Hospital on Monday after receiving serious head injuries in the crash.
Ms Wever, 24, had just been at a pub in Edgeworth and was on her way home with fiancée Dylan Whitey and friends in the taxi when the crash occurred just after 1am.
The taxi driver, a 46-year-old man, suffered serious internal injuries and remains in hospital. Another female passenger, 42, also suffered serious injuries as did three passengers in the Holden, including two 14-year-old girls.
Police have set up a critical incident investigation to examine whether they played any role after Lake Macquarie officers patrolling Edgeworth saw the Holden leave a service station on Main Rd, Edgeworth.
Police said the officers performed a U-turn to follow the vehicle “due to the manner of driving” before the Holden allegedly went through the red light and hit the taxi.
Police are also investigating whether the driver and some of his passengers, despite being injured, were attempting to run from the scene when officers arrived.
The alleged driver was charged with 15 offences including three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – drive manner dangerous, eight counts of cause bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle and disqualified driving.
Despite never holding a licence, the teenager was disqualified by a magistrate in August following the incident at Merewether on August 2.
The boy stole a car about 2.50am before police received multiple reports of a car driving erratically through Merewether between 6.30am and 8.30am that morning.
Officers found the stolen car crashed in a suburban street and the teen nearby.
He registered a bloody alcohol level of 0.099
He was charged with car theft, negligent driving, driving with a mid-range PCA and driving a car without ever holding a licence.
He was given a 12-month good behaviour bond for the car theft and drink-driving charges, fined $300 for negligent driving and a further $50 for never holding a licence.
He remains on remand after being refused bail on Sunday and again on Monday.
He will reappear in court on October 26.