Two young women are dead after being hit by a car outside a busy shopping centre, and one of their mothers has been charged.
The women, aged 20 and 24, were in the car park of Nambucca Plaza on the New South Wales mid-north coast when they were struck just before midnight on Saturday.
The women had allegedly been involved in an altercation in the parking lot.
A short time later, one of their mothers allegedly ploughed into them with a car, trapping them underneath.
Both of the women died in the car park. Police described the incident as ‘horrific’.
Kazzandra Widders (pictured) is one of the women who were hit and killed on Saturday night
The two women were in the car park of Nambucca Plaza shopping centre car, on the NSW mid-north coast just before midnight on Saturday
A 52-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday and charged with failing to stop and help, manslaughter, dangerous driving causing death and driving in a dangerous manner.
She will appear in Kempsey Local Court on Monday.
Harold Widders, the brother of one of the victims Kazzandra Widders, told 7 News: ‘[The car] did a U-turn, went up the gutter and took out my sister.’
He said through tears: ‘I took the keys out of the ignition and tried lifting up the car and I couldn’t… I couldn’t lift it.’
Mr Widders and his fiancée continued their tribute to Kazzandra on social media.
‘Why did it have too be you? This just doesn’t feel real. You have left us all numb you were the one that was there for me when i needed you,’ their joint social media page read.
Harold Widders, one of the women’s brother, told 7 News he tried to lift up the car and rescue both the women
Mr Widders and his fiancée continued their tribute to Mr Widder’s sister on social media
Mid North Coast Police District Commander Superintendent Paul Fehon called incident ‘horrific’ and ‘tragic’
Other friends and family wrote online: ‘I’m going to miss her beautiful smile and laughs.’
Another said: ‘I cant believe it still, have a drink of jimmy and celebrate her life.’
Mid North Coast Police District Commander Superintendent Paul Fehon called incident ‘horrific’ and ‘tragic’.
‘We are looking at all the circumstances surrounding this incident on the evening and we’re calling for members of the public who have witnessed this incident or who have any knowledge in relation to the circumstances to contact police,’ he said.
The latest incident comes after a horror 24 hours in which four people died, prompting a plea from police for road users to be cautious.
In one crash, a 23-year-old woman died when her car hit a tree at Old Junee in the NSW Riverina on Saturday morning.
‘It is important that every driver, or rider, takes responsibility to ensure that safety is their number one priority when they are behind the wheel, or on their bike,’ NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said on Saturday.
Meawhile, a 24-year-old male driver was charged over a fatal multi-vehicle crash at Ermington in northwest Sydney.
Emergency workers were called to the three-car collision at River Rd shortly after 11.30pm on Friday.
The man and his two female passengers, aged 28 and 25, were taken to Westmead Hospital, but the younger passenger later died.
The crash also left a female ute driver with minor injuries, while two people in the third car appeared to be unhurt.
The driver was taken to Granville Police Station after being released from hospital, where he has been charged with numerous offences including dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.
Earlier on Friday, about 8pm, a male pedestrian was killed when he was hit by a car in Canley Vale, in Sydney’s south west.
He died at the scene while the driver, a 64-year-old woman, was taken to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory testing.
On the Mid North Coast, a 57-year-old motorcyclist died at the scene in Forster after a collision with a ute about 10.30am on Friday.