Pregnant Indian-origin woman killed in Sydney after car crash; teen driver nabbed

A tragic accident in Sydney’s Hornsby suburb has claimed the life of a pregnant Indian-origin woman and her unborn child. 33-year-old Samanvitha Dhareshwar was struck by a car when she was out for a walk with her husband and their young son on Friday. She was eight months pregnant.

Police said the family was attempting to cross a footpath when a Kia Carnival slowed to let them pass. At the same moment, a BMW sedan, reportedly driven by 19-year-old Aaron Papazoglu, struck the Kia from behind, as per a report by 9 News. The impact pushed the Kia forward, hitting Dhareshwar with considerable force.

Emergency crews arrived quickly, and paramedics provided immediate treatment before she was taken to Westmead Hospital. Despite medical efforts, both the mother and her unborn baby died.

Dhareshwar had been only weeks away from giving birth to her second child. According to her LinkedIn profile, she was an IT systems analyst and had been working with Alsco Uniforms in Greater Sydney area.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

Accused driver arrested

Accused Aaron Papazoglu was taken to hospital for mandatory testing before being allowed to return home. Police say they arrested him at around 12.45 am on Millewa Avenue after reviewing dashcam footage of the incident. He was then taken to Hornsby Police Station and formally charged.

The charges include dangerous driving causing death, negligent driving causing death and causing the loss of a foetus, under legislation known as Zoe’s Law, which was introduced three years ago.

The driver of the Kia Carnival, a 48-year-old man, was unharmed in the crash.

Papazoglu holds a provisional licence has and now faces up to 10 years of jail sentence. He, however, has no previous criminal or driving offences record and was not under the influence of any kind of drugs when the incident took place.