Three people have died in a crash in Sydney after a man fled from police who were attempting to carry out a welfare check. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police officers were called to a property in Gymea Bay, southern Sydney, at 12.25am. When they arrived, a 42-year-old man drove away in a white Audi. Shortly afterwards, reports were received that the Audi had rolled over a concrete barrier and landed on a blue Toyota sedan at Sans Souci, about 7km away.
The man died at the scene, along with the driver and passenger of the Toyota, who are yet to be formally identified. Superintendent Graham Hibbs described the scene as 'horrific' and said police had been called for a 'mental health incident'.
Police were unable to speak with the man before he fled. Officers believe the Audi was travelling at 'considerable speed' when the crash occurred. Between 20 and 40 bystanders attempted to assist when one of the cars caught fire.
A crime scene has been established, and investigations are continuing, with drugs and alcohol a line of inquiry. The deaths come amid a deadly 24 hours on Australian roads, including a separate crash in Queensland that killed a 25-year-old woman and an infant.
