In a heartbreaking incident in Sydney, an Indian-origin woman, Samanvitha Dhareshwar, who was eight months pregnant, lost her life along with her unborn child after being struck by a car. The accident occurred on George Street in Hornsby shortly after 8 pm last Friday while Dhareshwar, 33, was out for a walk with her husband and their three-year-old son.

According to police reports, a Kia vehicle had slowed down to allow the family to cross the road when it was rear-ended by a speeding BMW. The impact caused the Kia to lurch forward, hitting Dhareshwar as she stepped onto the footpath. Emergency services arrived quickly and treated her at the scene before transporting her to Westmead Hospital in critical condition. Unfortunately, both she and her unborn child died shortly after arrival.

Dhareshwar worked as an IT systems analyst at Alsco Uniforms, as noted on her LinkedIn profile. The drivers of both vehicles, a 48-year-old man in the Kia and 19-year-old Aaron Papazoglu in the BMW, were unharmed. Papazoglu was arrested the following day and faces multiple charges, including dangerous driving occasioning death and causing the loss of a foetus. During his bail hearing, Magistrate Ray Plibersek described the case as “absolutely tragic” and expressed condolences to the victim's family, highlighting the devastating impact on both families involved.

This incident has raised concerns about road safety, particularly for pedestrians, and the legal implications of negligent driving in New South Wales, where laws have been strengthened to impose harsher penalties for causing harm to unborn children.