Sang Lee charged after woman pinned against Homebush West shop front by van

A South Korean cleaner was almost three times over the limit, police say, when he allegedly took out a pedestrian and ploughed into a corner store, before fleeing the scene and leaving her behind fighting for life.

A South Korean cleaner was almost three times over the limit, police say, when he allegedly took out a pedestrian and ploughed into a corner store, before fleeing the scene and leaving her behind fighting for life.

Sang Lee, 52, had spent the day working when the white mini van carrying his mops, buckets and cleaning products allegedly crashed at speed into the store on the corner of The Crescent and Hornsey Rd at Homebush West, in Sydney’s west, about 5pm on New Year’s Day.

As Lee’s vehicle allegedly went up the footpath it collected Shrutee Kumari as she walked past and thrust her into the shop, pinning her between the van and a grocery shelf.

CCTV from inside the Pyramid Video and Spice store shows Ms Kumari pinned by the bonnet on the vehicle’s front passenger side after it slammed through the front doors, taking them off the walls and sending shelves of goods crashing to the floor.

Sivarasa Manmatharasa, who works at a newsagents just down the road, was one of the first people on the scene and told how he comforted Ms Kumari until paramedics and police arrived.

A woman is fighting for life after a van pinned her against a building in Homebush West. Picture: Supplied

The woman suffered serious injuries after she was pinned by the vehicle against a grocery shelf. Picture: Supplied

“She saw my eyes and she looked at me and said: ‘Brother, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die, I want to talk to my mum’,” Mr Manmatharasa said.

“I didn’t sleep last night just thinking about it over and over.

“Then me and another lady, who had a nursing background, we kept saying to her: ‘You are in a safe place, are coming to help you, you are alright’.”

Sang Lee leaving Surry Hills Police Station. Picture: Richard Dobson

While horrified witnesses like Mr Manmatharasa rushed to help Ms Kumari, police allege Lee fled the scene and ran back to his home on Tavistock Ave - just a few hundred metres away.

Another man who was in the car with him remained at the scene and spoke with police.

A few hours later Lee fronted up to nearby Auburn Police Station where he was arrested and breath tested, allegedly returning a reading of 0.133 - almost three times the legal limit.

Sivarasa Manmatharasa was one of the first people on the scene and comforted the trapped woman after the New Year’s Day crash. Photo by: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

Lee was charged with offences including dangerous driving, drink driving and failing to assist, and spent the night at Surry Hills Police Station.

On Tuesday afternoon he faced Parramatta Local Court where he was represented by solicitor Susanna Tanner, who told the court how Lee had been in Australia since 1998 when he moved from South Korea.

She said in all his 25 years in Australia had not only no criminal record, but no bad driving history.

But still police opposed Lee being released on bail, telling the court there was a “heightened risk” he would flee the country because he had fled the scene.

In applying for Lee’s freedom, Ms Tanner offered up strict conditions including that the cleaner would surrender his South Korean passport, not get behind the driver’s wheel of any vehicle, and not drink alcohol.

The woman was freed by emergency services and taken to hospital. Picture: TNV

The crash caused a large amount of damage to the convenience store. Picture: TNV

“I can certainly understand why he (the police prosecutor) would put those concerns before the court,” Ms Tanner said.

“However in my submission there could be conditions the court could impose to mitigate the risk of those bail conditions.”

Magistrate John Andrews agreed, granting Lee bail on conditions including daily reporting to Auburn Police Station and abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and handing in his passport to NSW Police.

The court heard that Ms Kumari was yet to undergo surgery for her injuries, and remains in a critical but stable condition in Westmead Hospital.