Instagram influencer Patricia Hadjia blows 0.181 after flipping 4WD in Maroubra
Patricia Hadjia allegedly blew 0.181 after crashing her 4WD in Maroubra while on her way back from a wedding on Saturday night.
Police & Courts
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A glamorous Instagram influencer was allegedly more than three times over the limit when she crashed and rolled her car after a wedding in Sydney’s east on the weekend.
Patricia Hadjia, 27, allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.181 when she got behind the wheel of her Jeep Grand Cherokee and caused a multi-vehicle crash on Duncan St in Maroubra on Saturday night.
Police were called to the scene about 9.50pm where they found Ms Hadjia’s 4WD flipped on its side, having earlier allegedly struck three parked cars.
Ms Hadjia – who calls herself “Torpedo Trish” and has more than 39,000 followers on Instagram – and her 29-year-old male passenger escaped the crash uninjured, with neighbours telling The Daily Telegraph they rushed out to find the pair pulling themselves from the car.
“We were watching telly, we heard that sickening thud you know a car crash sounds like,” a neighbour said.
“I came out and looked up the road and it was a really strange looking sight, it looked a bit like a UFO had landed because the tail lights were up where they shouldn’t be normally.
“I got up the road and I could see it was a car on its side, the headlights were on and I could see arms inside writhing over each other … I ran back to my partner and she said what’s going on, I told her and she called Triple-0 immediately.”
Other locals said there were a number of gatherings on Duncan St at the time, with a large crowd soon arriving to have a look at the scene.
“We heard this massive boom and I looked up and saw this car, so I rushed down and everyone was out and another neighbour climbed up and tried to open the door, but he couldn’t,” another woman said.
“The girl said she was driving … but she came out first, and he came out second.”
Photos from the moments after the crash show the Jeep on its side, with the driver’s side to the ground.
Neighbours said Ms Hadjia and her passenger waited by the crash scene until police arrived and appeared to be in decent spirits.
“The stand out moment for me was when of the guys was still in there and he had his head out the window, and he put a cigarette in his mouth,” one neighbour said.
Just hours before the crash Ms Hadjia posted a photo from a friend’s wedding with a glass of champagne in hand.
In a statement, NSW Police said after returning a positive roadside breath test Ms Hadjia was arrested.
“She was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station, where she returned a breath analysis of 0.181,” a spokeswoman said.
Ms Hadjia was charged with high-range PCA, handed a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) and had her licence suspended.
Her solicitor Eidan Havas said: “It would be inappropriate for us to comment at this stage, save to say that my client is deeply embarrassed, regretful and will take full responsibility for her actions”.
Ms Hadjia – whose sister, singer Joelle Hadjia rose to fame after appearing on the X-Factor – works as a social media advisor, teaching people how to create successful accounts and become influencers.
She is due to face Waverley Local Court on Wednesday, November 10 2021.
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