A 34-year-old pedestrian hit in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Sydney’s northwestern suburb of Carlingford has passed away, four days after the crash left him trapped under a vehicle with life-threatening injuries.
The tragedy unfolded just after 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, when Frederick Kipruto became wedged underneath a Nissan van at the intersection of Ferndale Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue. He remained trapped undetected for a period before emergency responders located him, administered on-site first aid, and rushed him by ambulance to Westmead Hospital. Despite urgent medical intervention, Kipruto, who suffered severe critical head trauma, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday evening.
News of Kipruto’s death was first confirmed by a member of the local community online. Tributes have quickly poured in for the 34-year-old, with close friend Maxwell Kiptanui Keter sharing a message of condolence on social media. “Our heartfelt condolences go to his family, relatives, friends, and the entire community during this very difficult time,” Keter wrote. “May Fredrick’s soul rest in eternal peace.”
According to New South Wales Police allegations, the driver of the van involved, identified as Jacob Kurui, fled the collision scene immediately after striking Kipruto, running into nearby dense bushland to avoid capture. He was eventually located and taken into custody at Castle Hill Police Station, where police say he refused to comply with a mandatory breath alcohol test.
Kurui was subsequently transported under armed police guard to Hornsby Hospital to complete the required testing. He has since been hit with three criminal charges: driving while disqualified, refusing to undergo breath test analysis, and failing to provide personal identification and collision details to responding officers.
The accused made his first court appearance at Parramatta Local Court on Monday, where a judge refused his application for bail. He is scheduled to reappear before the court on September 17 to face the charges against him.