Crash in Heckenberg: Bail denied for Johnson Kokozian after fatal collision in Sydney

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【Summary】A young father, Johnson Kokozian, has been denied bail after an alleged high-speed crash in Heckenberg, Sydney, which resulted in the deaths of a brother and sister. Kokozian allegedly told police that he was the front seat passenger in the stolen Mercedes involved in the collision. Witnesses, however, claim that Kokozian was the driver. After the crash, Kokozian and two others allegedly fled the scene without helping the victims. The court refused bail, stating that Kokozian was the driver.

FutureCar Staff Sep 03, 2023 10:12 AM PT

Crash in Heckenberg: Bail denied for Johnson Kokozian after fatal collision in Sydney

A young father has been denied bail in connection with an alleged high-speed crash that resulted in the death of a brother and sister. The incident occurred in Heckenberg, Sydney's southwest, when an allegedly stolen Mercedes collided with the victims' Toyota Echo on the wrong side of the road at 9.20pm on Friday. The victims were identified as Alina Kauffman, 24, and her brother, Ernesto Salazer, 15.

Johnson Kokozian, 20, claimed to be the front seat passenger in the Mercedes registered to his father. However, numerous witnesses have alleged that Kokozian was the driver. After colliding with the Toyota, the Mercedes skidded into a stationary Toyota RAV4 and ended up flipped on its side. Fortunately, the occupants of the RAV4 were unharmed.

It is alleged that Kokozian and two other individuals climbed out of the wrecked Mercedes and got into another car without attempting to help the siblings who were fatally injured in the Echo. Magistrate Rob Rabbidge, referring to the situation as "appalling," refused to grant bail to Kokozian. The court was informed that police had visited Kokozian's father's house after the crash to inform him about the incident, to which the father allegedly claimed that the car had been stolen.

Kokozian, who is a father himself, received support from his girlfriend and father during the court proceedings. Meanwhile, Angelina Kauffman, the mother of Alina and Ernesto, expressed her grief, stating that her children did not deserve to die. She recounted how Alina had picked up Ernesto from his new job at Kmart, located just 200m away from their family home, and had informed her that they were going to get some food before returning home. When they did not come back, Ms. Kauffman and one of her other children used an app to locate the wrecked car. It was then that the police arrived and delivered the devastating news of her children's death.

Alina, a nurse who worked with the elderly, and Ernesto, who was saving money from his Kmart job to buy his first car, were described as kind-hearted individuals who will be deeply missed.