The man accused of slamming into six stationary cars, killing a 12-year-old boy and critically injuring his mum and younger sister, has been charged after allegedly fleeing the horrific scene.
John Pagakis, 34, was allegedly driving the Holden Commodore at speed when he became airborne and crashed into the stationary vehicles after exiting the M2 in Baulkham Hills, north-west Sydney, at about 7pm on Saturday.
The young boy, who was sitting in the back seat of a Holden Captiva, was pronounced dead at the scene.
His mother, 36, and five-year-old sister, who were also in the car, are in critical condition.
The boy’s 38-year-old father, who was driving the Captiva and was not injured in the crash, was heard screaming ‘my son, my son’ when he learned the 12-year-old did not survive.
John Pagakis (pictured), 34, was allegedly driving the Holden Commodore that crashed into the stationary vehicles on Saturday
Rebecca Simpson, who was a witness at the scene, described the father’s emotional turmoil following the crash.
‘He was in hysterics, he was screaming about his son,’ she told Nine News.
Another witness, Brett Simpson said: ‘The first thing I saw, the car in my rear-view mirror off the ground and I heard the crash obviously, next thing and then it was just chaos’.
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Kernin Lambert described the scene as ‘absolutely horrific’.
‘We have had to cut five people out of their vehicles,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
‘It was an extremely severe collision. People are fighting for their lives. We have been trying to keep people alive.’
A 12-year-old boy, who was sitting in the back seat of a Holden Captiva, was pronounced dead at the scene. His five-year-old sister is in a critical but stable condition in hospital (pictured together)
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Kernin Lambert described the scene as ‘absolutely horrific’ (pictured: Pagakis)
A witness who arrived at the scene after hearing the helicopters flying over his house told Seven News there was ‘commotion everywhere’.
‘This one car probably got hit every angle of the car,’ he said.
‘It was too hard to see cause there were so many ambulances and fire brigades and they began to put tarps up’.
A total of six people were injured in the collision.
The driver of a Toyota Corolla, a 65-year-old man, and his female passenger, 58, were also taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries.
The occupants of the other four cars were uninjured, but taken to Westmead for mandatory testing before being discharged.
Pagakis allegedly fled the scene after careening off the M2 motorway at Baulkham Hills just after 7pm Saturday.
A total of six people were injured in the collision (pictured)
Pagakis (pictured) was arrested at about 3.30am on Sunday, hours after he allegedly fled the scene
A manhunt ensued and Pagakis was arrested about 3.30am on Sunday, about eight-hours after the crash.
Pagakis was arrested at a house on The Circle, Narraweena, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
He has been charged with 10 dangerous driving and speeding charges and subsequently refused bail. He will appear in court on Sunday.
Pagakis’ mother Demitra (pictured) described the incident as a nightmare but defended her son’s character
Medical teams rushed to the scene at about 7.15pm with 10 emergency crews and two helicopters in attendance
The driver of a Holden Commodore collided with several cars before allegedly fleeing the scene
His mother, Demitra, described the incident as a nightmare but defended her son’s character.
‘He’s a good boy, he’s sensible, he wouldn’t do anything like that deliberately. It’s been a nightmare… I just want to sleep,’ she said.
The five-year-old girl is in a critical but stable condition at Westmead Children’s Hospital.
Her mother is reportedly showing signs of improvement at Westmead Hospital.
Flowers have since been placed at the scene in remembrance of the 12-year-old boy’s life.
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Kernin Lambert described the scene as ‘absolutely horrific’
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