A Sydney driver who was speeding at 210km/h before causing a fatal crash that killed a 12-year-old boy has been sentenced in the NSW District Court. John Pagakis, 35, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death after his Holden Commodore struck six cars at an intersection in Baulkham Hills on March 2 last year.
The court heard that Aditya Sharma was travelling with his parents and younger sister to a birthday dinner he had organised for her when their Holden Captiva was hit. The boy died instantly. Pagakis fled the scene on foot and was found seven hours later at his mother's home in Narraweena, 30km away.
Aditya's mother, Pooja Sharma, told reporters outside court that she could not forgive Pagakis. 'He didn't just kill my boy, he killed our whole family,' she said. Her husband, Arun, recalled the last moments before the crash, with his son playing music through the car's Bluetooth speaker as the family sang along.
The court was told that Pagakis had reached speeds of up to 210km/h before the crash. Despite braking, he was still doing 138km/h two seconds before impact. Pagakis initially claimed his brakes had failed, but a subsequent assessment found no fault with the vehicle. Judge Chris Craigie remarked, 'At that speed trying to turn it's hardly surprising the brakes won't work.'
