A devastating 10-car pile-up on Sydney's Canterbury Road at Lakemba has claimed one life and left nine others injured. The terrifying incident unfolded just before midday on Tuesday when a speeding red Toyota Camry swerved into oncoming traffic, triggering a chain-reaction collision.
Dashcam captures the moment of impact
Dashcam footage obtained by 7NEWS shows the red sedan hurtling down the wrong side of Canterbury Road, leaving other drivers with no time to react. The Camry first slammed into a utility vehicle, then a van, before causing a multi-vehicle pile-up that involved a total of 10 cars. The chaos began when the sedan rear-ended an SUV, sending it airborne and onto a bollard.
Witnesses describe the scene
Witness Tanino Aidala recounted the harrowing moments. "We start to hear tyres scratching, so we look up and we've seen the red car. He's come in, he's spun this car around," he said. Aidala described the panic that ensued: "Crazy. Everybody, everybody's in panic, everybody's looking around, trying to figure out what to do." He ran to assist those trapped in the wreckage, calling it "very, very hard to see."
Another witness, Joe, said emergency crews had to cut the side of the Camry to reach the occupants. "They ended up cutting the side of the car, and I thought they were trying to reach the driver, but it looks like they were trying to treat the lady," he explained.
Victims and emergency response
The elderly male driver of the red Camry, believed to be in his 80s, died at the scene. His 78-year-old female passenger sustained critical injuries and was rushed to hospital. NSW Ambulance treated nine people at the scene, with three transported to hospital for further care. Police suspect the driver may have suffered a medical episode, causing him to lose control and setting off the deadly chain of events.
Road closure and investigation
Canterbury Road remained closed for more than five hours as crash investigators examined the scene and gathered evidence. All 10 vehicles have since been cleared, and local businesses that were forced to close this afternoon are expected to reopen as normal tomorrow. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
