Charges Filed in Fatal Mercedes Collision in Sydney

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【Summary】A man has been charged after a high-speed crash in Sydney's southwest killed a brother and sister. The man, who was allegedly driving a stolen Mercedes, collided with the Toyota Echo the siblings were in before hitting another car and flipping over. He fled the scene but turned himself in the next day. He has been charged with several offenses, including causing death by dangerous driving.

FutureCar Staff Sep 02, 2023 5:01 PM PT

Charges Filed in Fatal Mercedes Collision in Sydney

A man has been charged with multiple offenses after a high-speed crash resulted in the deaths of a brother and sister in Heckenberg, Sydney. Alina Kauffman, 24, and Ernesto Salazer, 15, were killed when their Toyota Echo was struck by an allegedly stolen Mercedes. The collision caused the Mercedes to flip onto its side and hit a stationary Toyota RAV4. The driver of the Mercedes, a 20-year-old man, fled the scene but later turned himself into the police. He has been charged with driving dangerously and negligently causing death, as well as other offenses.

The occupants of the RAV4 were unharmed, but CCTV footage allegedly shows the Mercedes traveling at high speed just moments before the crash. Police claim that the four occupants of the Mercedes fled the scene in a Volkswagen Golf after the car overturned. NSW Ambulance paramedics attempted to treat Alina and Ernesto, but they both died at the scene. Their mother, Angelina Kauffman, expressed her devastation, stating that her children were her world.

Angelina had received a call from Alina shortly before the crash, in which Alina assured her that they were on their way home. When Angelina didn't hear from them for 20 minutes, she and her other child tracked their location through social media. The police later informed Angelina of the tragic news. In the aftermath of the crash, an unknown person filmed a video of the damaged Toyota Echo before emergency services arrived. The video was shared on social media, prompting a police investigation.

The alleged driver of the Mercedes is scheduled to appear in court, while another man who was in the car has been released without charge. Police are still searching for the other two passengers. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.