Heckenberg: Johnson Kokozian charged after brother, sister killed in horror head-on crash
A 20-year-old man will face court today over a Western Sydney car crash which killed a brother and sister. The siblings’ devastated mother broke down at the scene of the accident. Warning: Distressing footage.
Police & Courts
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A man will appear in court today charged with dangerous driving causing the death of a brother and sister on Friday night in Sydney’s southwest.
Johnson Kokozian, 20, was arrested at Liverpool police station on Saturday about 18 hours after police allege he was behind the wheel of a stolen Mercedes Benz which hit and killed Alina Kauffman, 24, and her brother Ernesto, 15.
Kokozian was charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and drive manner dangerous. Two counts of fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, negligent driving occasioning death, and drive vehicle during disqualification period.
He is due to appear in Parramatta bail court on Sunday.
Yesterday the siblings’ devastated mother broke down at the scene of the accident
which took the lives of her two children.
Police at that time were searching for several people who allegedly left the scene after the collision.
Angelina Kauffman’s 15-year-old son Ernesto and 24-year-old daughter Alina were killed in the horror crash on Friday night, just metres from their Heckenberg home.
Alina had picked her little brother up from his new job at a nearby Kmart when they collided with a Mercedes on Sadleir Ave — less than 200m from their family home.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Anthony Boyd said the Mercedes had been travelling at a “very high speed” in the moments leading up to the incident.
“It’s abhorrent behaviour,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Boyd told media on Saturday.
“I think the nature of the collision itself is totally unacceptable … and then to flee the scene and not offer assistance to people in the vehicle.
“You may have been able to provide some form of first aid which may have assisted in saving their lives.”
Police say the car that crashed was reported stolen an hour before the incident and they are looking for an 18-year-old man believed to be the driver.
“Road trauma is a catastrophic for everyone involved. Not only the victims in the actual collision themselves, but the communities and the families of those victims down the track,” Ass Comm Boyd said.
Witnesses in Sadleir Ave said they saw the occupants of the Mercedes climb out of the upturned vehicle and before getting into a getaway car — a Volkswagen Golf — and driving off.
“Four or five young guys got out from the Mercedes … they broke the window,” local resident Parisa Mesri said. “They ran away. They drove away in another white car.”
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the driver of the hatchback — 24-year-old Alina, and her 15-year-old little brother — however, they both died at the scene.
Ms Kauffman arrived at the scene of the crash just minutes later where she was told her youngest and oldest children had died.
Returning to the scene on Saturday morning, the devastated mother talked about the last time she saw Alina and Ernesto — and the final conversation they shared.
“Alina called me and said ‘mum I picked up my brother, we are going to get some food and then we are coming home’,” Angelina said.
“I said ‘are you okay’ and they said ‘yes mummy’.”
She grew concerned 20 minutes later when they hadn’t arrived home and stopped answering her calls.
Ms Kauffman and another one of her children went to find Alina and Ernesto after checking their location in a social media app.
When they arrived on Sadleir Ave, Ms Kauffman saw the crumpled wreck and broke down.
“The police came and told me my kids died. My beautiful kids,” she said through tears.
“These people hit my kids and left them to die.”
Police remained at the scene on Saturday morning, canvassing the area of CCTV and witness accounts of the crash.
They also seized the Mercedes for forensic examination.
As part of inquiries, a VW was seized after being located by police at Ashcroft and the alleged driver, an 18-year-old man, was arrested after attending Liverpool Police Station about 11.30pm. He was taken to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory testing.
An investigation was begun into the circumstances surrounding the crash, with Ms Kauffman urging those involved to come forward.
“I just want justice for my kids,” she said.
Overcome with emotion, Ms Kauffman described both Ernesto and Alina as “the most beautiful people”.
Alina was a nurse and worked with the elderly, while Ernesto had just started working at Kmart two weeks ago to save up for his first car.
“He was the kindest, sweetest boy, he didn’t have a bad bone in his body,” Ms Kauffman said.
“Alina was so beautiful.
“My kids did not deserve to die.”
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