Pregnant Woman Loses Unborn Baby in Crash That Also Killed Her Mom, After Vehicle in Police Chase Hit Her Car Head-on

Police are searching for a driver following a fatal traffic collision that killed a woman and her pregnant daughter’s unborn baby.

The incident occurred in Newcastle, a city on the eastern coast of Australia, at approximately 2:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 22, per a press release issued by the New South Wales Police Department.

Authorities said a police officer initially saw a Holden Commodore with an unauthorized license plate driving “in a dangerous manner.”  

The officer lost sight of the vehicle, at which point another officer began pursuit. The driver of the Commodore then took off on the “incorrect” side of the road, and soon collided head-on with a Hyundai sedan, per the release.

Authorities said a 55-year-old woman in the Hyundai — who has yet to be formally identified — died at the scene. Her 28-year-old pregnant daughter, who was driving the vehicle, was treated for leg injuries and taken to a local hospital for further care, per the statement.

“Police have since been informed that the woman was 25 weeks pregnant and has subsequently lost her unborn child,” they added. 

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While the rear passengers of the Commodore — two girls, ages 15 and 17 — are currently being treated for “serious injuries” at a local hospital, the driver and driver’s side passenger fled the scene before authorities arrived, per the release. 

Police believe that the driver was a male “in his late teens” of “Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance” and that the driver’s side passenger was a 17-year-old girl.

Authorities are “actively making inquiries” to locate both people and are urging anyone with “relevant footage or information to come forward,” per the release.