Harris Park: Man charged after SUV crashes into fence at Wigram-Marion streets intersection

Shocking vision has captured an SUV crashing into a fence on a busy street in Sydney’s west where onlookers saw it narrowly avoiding a child.

Shocking video of a four-wheel drive doing doughnuts before crashing and narrowly missing a child has emerged as a fed-up community calls for an end to the hoons turning Harris Park into a “criminal hub”.

The video was taken on a phone at the busy Wigram and Marion streets on Wednesday February 12 at 7.45pm when the SUV crashed into a fence at the notorious roundabout.

The footage shows a male emerging from the sunroof as the vehicle circles the roundabout before it crashes into a barrier where witnesses allege the vehicle was “six inches” from hitting a child.

Witnesses say the girl was walking with her father who is understood to have escaped with a cut to his shin.

“There was a f--king child there! There was a child there,’’ a woman in the video said.

Emergency services at the scene before a 22-year-old man was arrested.

Cumberland police arrested a 22-year-old driver and charged him with driving recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, negligent driving and having a passenger 16 years or older not properly wearing a seatbelt.

He is due to face Parramatta Local Court next month.

Speaking about the street generally, Jaipur Sweets owner Narinder Singh, whose shop is metres from the crash scene, said it was “very lucky” no one was killed on February 12.

“It’s (happening) on a daily basis and police, when they are called, they come after two-three hours because they’re understaffed,’’ he said.

“This is becoming a criminal hub.

“We have to cut the bud before it blooms – at the moment it’s blooming.’’

Jaipur Sweets owner Narinder Singh at the site of a crash at Wigram and Marion streets Harris Park on February 12 when an SUV ploughed into a barrier.

Mr Singh blamed “show-off’’ culture for young drivers wanting to flaunt their new cars but putting the community’s safety at risk.

“We have a very deep-rooted culture and show-off community, and (they) like to brag, and then they buy a car and come here and show off … but someone’s life is worth millions,’’ he said.

The Jaipur Sweets owner said if it was “very lucky” it was not the night before because more customers would have been standing by the fence taking advantage of the free meals he served as part of a weekly community venture.

Not Just Curry owner Deepanshu Gambhir has echoed the safety concerns and has recorded a drop in business because of hoons doing burnouts and playing loud music particularly over the past two years.

Narinder Singh blames ‘show-off’ culture for burnouts and dangerous driving in Harris Park.

“We’ve seen the business drop and have seen a reduction of the families coming into the area,’’ he said.

“Since it’s been called Little India things have gone really badly.

“My business is 30 per cent down.’’

Tony, a Harris Park resident of 21 years, said the roundabout was a black spot.

“That’s a very dangerous roundabout.

“You hear drag racing in the morning. You hear it at 2 o’clock in the morning.’’

“It’s such a small roundabout. People crossing are going to be hit.

“It’s pretty bad. Somebody’s going to die. That’s how bad it is.’’

The suburb’s food trucks have attracted complaints but now the community says the driving problems pose a more imminent threat of putting people’s safety at risk.

The site of the crash.

The public wants more police patrols, especially at night.

The business community says problems escalated after Covid.

A manager of a long-time small business at Harris Park, who wished to remain anonymous, said dangerous driving was deterring families from visiting the suburb.

“People get scared to come here with their families,’’ he said.

Parramatta councillor Patricia Prociv said a desire for hits on social media was also to blame for hoons.

“The people who are doing these burnouts seem to be unaware of the chaos they’re causing,’’ she said.

“I don’t think they care. It’s all about TikTok and YouTube and Facebook. That’s what we’re up against.’’

Residents and businesses have called for more regular police patrols, a pedestrian crossing at Wigram and Marion streets, and more speed humps.

The issue will be discussed at a council meeting in March.

The federal government has recently allocated funds towards Harris Park and it understood a portion will go towards improving safety.

Cr Prociv is hopeful action will ensue and all the “vested” groups come together. “I’m so hopeful this is the beginning of making Harris Park a great place,’’ she said.

Originally published as Harris Park: Man charged after SUV crashes into fence at Wigram-Marion streets intersection