The boyfriend of a Sydney woman killed when she exited his moving car on the Princes Highway at Dapto last year has admitted driving recklessly in the minutes leading up to the accident.
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Aashima Goyal was killed instantly when she was hit by a truck seconds after apparently falling from the man’s vehicle as it travelled along the highway on the morning of September 25.
The Mercury has chosen not to name the man, who pleaded guilty in court this week to a charge of driving recklessly/furiously or in a dangerous manner.
Police documents outlining the case said motorists saw the man’s car weave in and out of traffic, tailigate and overtake multiple other cars in the breakdown lane as the pair drove north near Albion Park Rail.
The accident involving Ms Goyal occurred between the Fowlers Road and Emerson Road overpasses.
Magistrate Susan McGowan found there was “no causal link” between the man’s manner of driving and Ms Goyal’s death.
A police fact sheet tendered in court said the two university students had been sending each other text messages overnight, prompting Ms Goyal to arrive at the man’s house just after 7am that morning.
They spoke briefly before driving off in the car.
The man’s father later told police his son appeared quite “agitated” as he was leaving.
The car was seen driving erratically and above the speed limit as it headed north along the M1, with one driver later telling police the man belonged “on a racetrack” he was driving so fast.
Meantime, a truck dashcam recorded the vehicle overtaking at a speed of about 130km/hr moments before the accident.
The police statement provided no further details about the circumstances surrounding Ms Goyal’s death.
Magistrate McGowan handed the man an $850 fine, cancelled his licence for 15 months and placed him on a good behaviour bond, with a condition that he continued to receive psychological treatment.
Meantime, the Goyal family’s most recent entry on a website set up after her death reveals they are still struggling with their loss.
“Today is 10 months that you left us and there has not been a moment ... that we did not miss you,” the family wrote on July 25.
“You are an essential part of our thoughts and we miss you like no one does for anyone.”