An eight-months-pregnant Indian-origin tech professional, Samanvitha Dhareshwar, 33, tragically died in Sydney along with her unborn child after being struck by a car during an evening walk. The incident occurred last Friday (14) around 8 pm on George Street in the suburb of Hornsby, where Dhareshwar was out with her husband and their three-year-old son.
According to police, a Kia car had slowed down at the entrance of a car park to let the family cross the street. Moments later, the Kia was violently rear-ended by a BMW, causing it to surge forward and crash directly into Dhareshwar. Emergency responders arrived quickly and administered treatment before rushing her to Westmead Hospital. Despite medical efforts, both she and her baby could not be saved.
Dhareshwar, whose LinkedIn profile lists her as an IT systems analyst at Alsco Uniforms, was only weeks away from delivering her second child. Her death has led to shock and grief with Sydney's Indian community as well as among colleagues and friends.
Neither the 48-year-old Kia nor the 19-year-old BMW driver sustained physical injuries. Police arrested the BMW driver, identified as Aaron Papazoglu, the following day. He has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death, and causing the loss of a fetus.
During Papazoglu's bail hearing, Magistrate Ray Plibersek denied bail, calling the case 'absolutely tragic' and acknowledging the profound impact on both families. “The community’s heart goes out to the victim’s family for this tragic loss,” he said.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities piece together the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal crash.
