Latest news with #trafficAccident
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Drunk British backpacker' on an e-scooter allegedly kills Australian dad when she ploughed into him
There are growing calls for a ban on e-scooters in Australia after a British backpacker allegedly ploughed into an Aussie father, leaving him with a fatal brain injury. Alicia Kemp, 24, was arrested and charged for allegedly riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down engineer Thanh Phan on May 31, who died of his injuries two days later. In response, the city of Perth on Thursday suspended the hiring of e-scooters indefinitely as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital separately laid bare the extent of e-scooter-related injuries. Mr Phan's family friend Lee Carroll said that ban should be made permanent. 'E-scooters for hire are motorised vehicles that require no licence to operate and are often stationed outside bars and clubs, inviting use by people who may be intoxicated,' he told ABC News. 'We call on the City of Perth and the minister for transport to take decisive action.' Kemp had been out drinking on the afternoon of May 31 from 2.30pm with a friend, and was kicked out of a bar for being too drunk. Later that evening, she hired an e-scooter at around 8.30pm. Police told the court that she was the main driver, while her friend was a passenger. Prosecutors said that Kemp was driving in an 'inexplicably dangerous' manner, which as caught on CCTV, and that pedestrians were forced to 'take evasive action' as she rode down Murray Street in Perth's Central Business District. She had a blood alcohol level of 0.158 as she was riding. Western Australian law states that electric vehicle drivers must have a level lower than 0.05 to legally drive. Kemp was also travelling at 24 km/h as 'she careered into his back', prosecutors said, adding that this caused Mr Phan to fall forward and hit his head. Tragically, he suffered 'a significant brain bleed', while Kemp's friend, a 26-year-old who had not yet been identified, was thrown from the scooter and suffered a fractured skull and broken nose. Mr Phan was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital for surgery, where he died. It comes after the head of trauma services at the Royal Perth Hospital told the ABC that he and his team were witnessing an increase in the numbers of e-scooter related incidents. 'Our patients are experiencing lifetime consequences or not even surviving from injuries sustained on an e-scooter,' Dieter Weber said. He added that allowing motorised vehicles to share footpaths with pedestrians is fundamentally unsafe. While not speaking on Mr Phan's death directly, Dr Weber urged that e-scooter incidents are avoidable if riders are wearing helmets and not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 'The thing that sticks out to me as a surgeon is sadly the number of families that we've seen at the bedside in tears with their loved ones tragically injured from these e-scooters,' he said. The professor said the extent of the injuries can be so terrible that it is not always possible for patients to return to a normal life. 'We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, injuries that have not just immediate impact but then lasting lifelong effects on patients. 'It's this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable,' he said. Dr Weber welcomed Perth's decision to suspend the hiring of e-scooters but warned that the full range of potential consequences for riding these vehicles has not yet been fully understood. Earlier in the week, WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti acknowledged: 'We need to increase our compliance.' WA Police announced on Wednesday they would be undertaking 'state-wide targeted enforcement operations' in response to a number of incidents, including Mr Phan's death. A spokesperson said they would be focusing on speeding, mobile phone use, riding under the influence, use of helmets, passenger limits and underage riders. Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said he was open to making any change 'that will make people safer'. 'I want to consult with local government, and the operators about geo-fencing these devices so they can't be used in certain areas, at certain times, at certain speeds,' he said. Kemp's anxious parents have now flown to Australia to be with their daughter who is charged with dangerous driving occasioning death. It comes shortly after the young backpacker was told that she could not be bailed out as she posed too great a flight risk. Kemp, who could face up to 20 years in prison, had been travelling through southeast Asia and Australia with her boyfriend on a four-month tourist visa. At the time of the tragic crash, she had been working at Durty Nelly's Irish pub. Describing herself on Linkedin as a digital nomad, Kemp had said that she was taking a 'career break' in order to travel and had also taken to social media platform TikTok to document the experience. Kemp added to the social media platform: 'I aim to immerse myself within the different cultures Asia has to offer. 'This includes working as an English second language teacher in Vietnam, in both public and private schools.' In a heartbreaking statement given following Mr Phan's death, his family paid tribute to a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend'. The statement added: 'We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss. 'The family has no other comment to make on the issue at this time.' The magistrate said that the significant prospect of a long prison sentence if Kemp were to be convicted means that there was a risk of her 'not returning to court to answer the charges'. They added: 'The temptation might be that (she) won't return. I can't manage that risk'. Kemp, who remains in custody, is set to appear before the court again on July 15.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Two men charged with killing boy, 16, in ‘hit and run'
Two men have been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder after a 16-year-old boy was hit by a car that failed to stop at the scene. Zulkernain Ahmed, 20, and Amaan Ahmed, 26, both of Locke Drive, Sheffield, have been charged in relation to the death of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi, 16, South Yorkshire Police said. The teenager was walking along Staniforth Road in the Darnall area of Sheffield on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by a car. It is understood that a grey Audi had driven towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider, the force said. As the car continued after the crash, it collided with Abdullah, who later died in hospital. The driver of the Audi failed to stop at the scene, police said. The 18-year-old man riding an electric bike suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening. He remains in hospital. Two people, a 46-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain on police bail. The two men who have been charged will appear before Sheffield magistrates' court on Monday.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Two men charged with murder after teenage pedestrian died in ‘hit-and-run'
Two men have been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder after a 16-year-old was hit by a car which failed to stop at the scene. Zulkernain Ahmed, 20, and Amaan Ahmed, 26, both of Locke Drive, Sheffield, have been charged in relation to the death of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi, 16, South Yorkshire Police said. The teenager was walking along Staniforth Road in the Darnall area of Sheffield on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by a car. It is understood that a grey Audi had driven towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider, the force said. As the car continued after the crash, it collided with Abdullah. The teenager died in hospital. The driver of the Audi failed to stop at the scene, police said. The 18-year-old man riding an electric bike suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening. He remains in hospital. Two people, a man, aged 46, and a woman, aged 45, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain on police bail. The two men who have been charged will appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday. Abdullah had recently arrived in the UK from Yemen 'for a better future', his family said. Relatives and friends of Abdullah said he was devoted to his family and would 'light up their faces with a big smile'. He arrived in the UK from Yemen two or three months ago, and had devoted himself to learning English ahead of starting at college in September. Abdullah's relative Saleh Alsirkal runs the corner shop on Staniforth Road which the teenager visited just before the crash. He said that he had a hospital appointment earlier in the afternoon and popped into the store, as he often did, before heading off to find some food. Mr Alsirkal said: 'His dad brought him over to change his life, to get a better future for his son, but this has happened and destroyed everything.' Mr Alsirkal said Abdullah was a 'kind boy' who just wanted to look after his family. He said he was really enjoying learning English. 'Every time he had a new word to learn he was so excited about it,' he said. 'It meant a lot to him and he learned quick. Sometimes he would stay in the shop just so he could talk to people. He tried to be friends with everyone.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Two charged for murder after death of teenager
Two men have been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder after a 16-year-old was struck by a car which failed to stop at the scene. South Yorkshire Police said Zulkernain Ahmed, 20, and Amaan Ahmed, 26, both of Locke Drive, Sheffield, have been charged in relation to the death of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi, 16. The teenager was walking along Staniforth Road in the Darnall area of Sheffield on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by a car. The force said it is understood that a grey Audi had driven towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Two men charged with murder after teenage pedestrian died in ‘hit-and-run'
Two men have been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder after a 16-year-old was hit by a car which failed to stop at the scene. Zulkernain Ahmed, 20, and Amaan Ahmed, 26, both of Locke Drive, Sheffield, have been charged in relation to the death of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi, 16, South Yorkshire Police said. The tennager was walking along Staniforth Road in the Darnall area of Sheffield on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by a car. It is understood that a grey Audi had driven towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider, the force said. As the car continued after the crash, it collided with Abdullah. The teenager died in hospital. The driver of the Audi failed to stop at the scene, police said. The 18-year-old man riding an electric bike suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening. He remains in hospital. Two people, a man, aged 46, and a woman, aged 45, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain on police bail. The two men who have been charged will appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday.
