Bondi bus driver’s sorrow over Grafton St death
A bus driver charged over the death of a 24-year-old woman after allegedly failing to stop at a red light in Bondi Junction has declared the tragedy a terrible accident.
NSW
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A bus driver charged over the death of a 24-year-old woman after he allegedly failed to stop at a red light near a bus interchange in Bondi Junction has declared the tragedy a terrible accident and said he was sorry for the victim’s family.
Michael Yammouni, 41, was charged with dangerous driving offences after Mimi Feng was killed when his bus allegedly hit her near a pedestrian crossing on Grafton Street in Bondi Junction on Wednesday morning.
Flanked by two friends and smoking a cigarette outside his Padstow home, a distressed Mr Yammouni told The Daily Telegraph he did not mean to hit the woman.
“It was an accident … I’m sorry,” he said.
When asked whether Ms Feng stepped in front of the bus, Mr Yammouni said “I don’t know” and added that his memory of the event was still a blur.
Ms Feng was a student at North Sydney Girls High School from where she graduated as a distinguished achiever in 2013 and later worked in its technology team.
School principal Megan Connors thanked Ms Feng in a newsletter last year for “ensuring the success of sound and lighting” at its musical Hairspray.
A witness who saw the aftermath of the crash described the scene as “a terrible sight”, with the woman lying in a pool of blood behind the bus.
His friend pulled over to try to resuscitate the woman but she was declared dead when paramedics arrived.
Images of Mr Yammouni from the aftermath of the crash show him noticeably distressed, with a witness saying he had his face clutched in his palms as he was wheeled away in a police van.
“The bus driver was not far away and he was distraught, pacing back and forth,” they said.
Mr Yammouni was described as a “nice guy” by neighbours.
A witness, who did not wish to be named, said the area where Ms Feng was hit was notoriously dangerous for pedestrians, with a 12-year-old suffering leg injuries at an intersection nearby a week ago.
Mr Yammouni will appear at Waverley Local Court next year after being charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, driving in a dangerous manner, negligent driving and not stopping at a red light.
‘TERRIBLE SIGHT’: BUS DRIVER CHARGED OVER BONDI DEATH
A bus driver has been charged with dangerous driving offences after a 24-year-old woman was hit and killed by his vehicle yesterday.
The 41-year-old will front Waverley Local Court next year after being charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, driving in a dangerous manner, negligent driving and not stopping at a red light.
The woman, aged 24, was hit by the 8159 bus as it travelled along Grafton St near a bus interchange outside the busy shopping centre around 10.15am on Wednesday.
A security guard had just finished his shift and was driving home in his red Holden when he saw the bus with its emergency lights on, and the body of a blonde woman in a pool of blood behind the bus.
The man pulled over to try to resuscitate the woman before police arrived on scene, but she was declared dead when paramedics arrived.
A friend of the guard said his friend was “traumatised” after the incident but had done everything he could to try to save the young woman.
“It was a terrible sight. She had been knocked over. My friend saw a bus with its hazard lights on and jumped out when he saw her,” he said.
“The bus driver was not far away and he was distraught, pacing back and forth.”
The man, who did not wish to be named, said the area was notoriously dangerous for pedestrians, with a 12-year-old suffering leg injuries at an intersection nearby just a week ago.
“That corner can be dangerous as people are very focused on their phones. Every few weeks police wait for people to speed,” he said.
A man who works at a cafe metres from where the accident occurred said he heard a crash “and then looked and saw a policeman attempting CPR but they couldn’t bring her back.”
He said office workers from the building above saw what had happened.
The intersection at Grafton and Grosvenor Street was closed for most of Wednesday morning as police collected evidence from the scene of the crash.
NSW Police Inspector Steve Monaghan said the bus driver was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing. Investigations are continuing.
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Originally published as Bondi bus driver’s sorrow over Grafton St death
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