The allegedly unlicensed driver accused of killing a pregnant woman in a horrific car crash could face additional charges over the deaths of her unborn twin boys, who were due within a matter of days.
A 23-year-old pregnant newlywed, Katherine Hoang, was killed in the horror smash in Sydney’s west on Friday night, along with her unborn twins and her 17-year-old sister-in-law.
Her husband, Bronko Hoang, is fighting for life in hospital, unaware his heavily pregnant wife and their sons are dead.
Father-of-four Richard Moananu, 29, faced 10 charges in a hospital bed court hearing on Sunday, though additional charges could be laid.
Katherine and Bronko married in May after meeting at a Taekwondo club. Bronko is fighting for his life in hospital while Katherine died in the collision
Richard Moananu, 29, was charged on Sunday with 10 offences. Police allege the 29-year-old was unlicensed, on the wrong side of the road and travelling 45km/hr over the speed limit
Moananu, who also works as a builder, has been charged with 10 offences including negligence, unlicensed driving, two counts of manslaughter and aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
A source close to the incident has told the Daily Telegraph those offences don’t account for the unborn twin boys, but additional charges could be laid.
‘It is a grey area of the law and depends whether the unborn twins are classed as foetuses or children,’ the source said.
Parramatta Bail Court heard Moananu was unlicensed.
It’s alleged Moananu was unlicensed, on the wrong side of the road and travelling 45km/hr over the speed limit at the time of the crash.
The court also heard two other cars were forced to take evasive action to avoid crashing, with Moananu also facing charges over injuries sustained by one of these drivers.
He did not apply for bail, and will appear in Penrith Local Court on Thursday.
Pregnant newlywed Katherine Hoang, 23, (pictured) was just days from giving birth to twins when she was killed in a horror car crash
The couple, who married in May, were due to become parents to two twin boys next week
Katherine and Bronko married in May after meeting and falling in love years ago at the Western Sydney University Taekwondo club.
Vice-president Hansel Rebello said Bronko, who’d recently started a new job in the disability sector, had an ‘infectiously vibrant outlook to life’.
‘Katherine was a beautiful gentle soul who always had a smile on her face,’ Mr Rebello posted online.
‘Pull through Bronko, you have a lot of mates waiting for you.’
Ms Hoang, 23, her unborn twins and her teenage relative who was driving the vehicle were killed
One of Katherine’s university friends said people were ‘devastated and paralysed’ by her death.
‘Katherine, who liked being called Kate, was a smart, brilliant, funny, kind, loving friend who never had a bad word to say about anyone,’ Tom Cross told AAP.
‘Hearing of her passing along with two unborn twins is a senseless loss beyond words.’
Rishad Akbary said words couldn’t describe the pain he was in.
‘All my condolences to Katherine and Bronko’s family, I can’t even imagine what they are going through,’ he posted online.
Two other vehicles in the incident had to take evasive action to avoid also crashing, police said.
An 18-year-old man behind the wheel of a ute suffered minor facial injuries while the other driver was uninjured.
The couple had only been recently married when Ms Hoang (right) was killed in the crash
Two hatchbacks collided while travelling down the Northern Road in Sydney’s west at about 7.40pm on Friday
Witness Jarrad Sherlock told the Daily Telegraph he had been travelling on the road on Friday night when he noticed the Mazda hatchback moving through traffic.
Moments later, the Mazda allegedly mounted the median strip and sped onto the other side of the road before it collided with the Nissan hatchback.
Mr Sherlock told the publication he immediately jumped out of his car and rushed to the scene to check if anyone was alive.
‘He was alive but unconscious. I ran to the other car, I saw a lady in the back seat but she had already passed away,’ Mr Sherlock said.
Acting Inspector of NSW Ambulance, Joe Ibrahim, told Nine News the incident was one of the worst he had ever seen.
Both the green and black hatchbacks were beyond recognition when police and paramedics arrived at the horror scene.
Debris from the crash was strewn across both lanes of the road. Two other vehicles were hit in the crash but the occupants in each car were unscathed.
Emergency services attempted to revive the driver and her heavily-pregnant passenger but both women and the unborn children died at the scene
Both cars were beyond recognition when police and paramedics arrived at the horror scene
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