Witnesses have relived the horrific moment they saw a man who was run down in a suspected road rage attack and then dragged 100m along the street to his death.
Police were called to a school zone on Jersey Road, Blackett, in Sydney’s west at about 8.45am on Thursday after reports a pedestrian had been hit by a white ute.
Officers arrived and found a 27-year-old man had been struck by the vehicle before it fled the scene.
It is understood the victim, who was wearing high visibility clothing and jeans, was in a red Ford Ranger which is believed to have been in an earlier traffic incident with the white ute.
Witnesses say he then got out of the Ford and tried to stop the other vehicle when he was fatally struck.
Debbie Cremen, who has lived in the street for 25 years, witnessed paramedics working on the victim.
‘It was extremely confronting. He had been dragged from his ute and was lying in the road,’ she told Daily Mail .
Ms Cremen, 59, said the victim’s body had been dragged along by the ute before it became free.
‘I was literally shocked. How can someone do such a horrible thing and drive off without a care in the world?’ said Ms Cremen.
‘It’s someone’s brother, uncle, son.’
Horrified staff members of the nearby Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, saw the incident unfold outside their building.
‘It was a road rage incident,’ one staff member told Daily Mail .
‘I can’t even put it into context. He got out his car, I don’t even know what he was planning on doing.’
Another staff member performed first aid on the victim but could not revive him.
Residents said members of NSW Police’s elite Raptor organised crime squad were the first emergency services to arrive on the scene to administer first aid.
The victim was later treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
‘I was just going to grab some drinks and I saw this guy laying on the ground,’ one tradie who witnessed the desperate fight to save the victim’s life told ABC News.
‘A couple of cops were trying to do CPR for him.’
A nearby neighbour added: ‘They were giving him heart massage and then other police came and blocked it all off.’
A local mum added: ‘That anyone can just hit someone and run away and show no remorse – not to stop and check on him or anything like that… it’s absolutely disgusting.’
Police have established a crime scene and detectives have launched an investigation into the incident.
Detectives are hoping to speak to the driver of the ute that was seen in the area at the time of the incident.
The vehicle is described as being a white ute with a metal tray, a black canopy and a black toolbox with metal racks on top.
Mt Druitt Police Area Command Duty Officer, Acting Inspector Shane Ranee, said the victim had ‘felt threatened’ by the driver of the ute.
‘The victim had got out of the vehicle after being threatened by the car following him,’ said Acting Inspector Ranee.
‘And obviously words were said and that’s what led us to believe it could have been a road rage incident
The 27-year-old was then was dragged around 100 metres by the ute, police confirmed.
‘It’s devastating,’ he added. ‘I feel bad for the victim’s parents and his family and I urge the driver to please come forward and hand himself into police.
The driver of the ute is still at large and being hunted by cops, although they admitted that the CCTV footage was not very clear.
‘We would like to speak to the driver of the Ute with the metal tray, black canopy and black toolbox with metal racks on top,’ Acting Inspector Ranee said.
‘We urge anyone who may know the driver or anyone who may have information or dash cam footage to please call police or crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.’