A driver has pleaded guilty to killing a Nepali grandmother who was asleep inside a Perth home when he crashed into the property while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
As per 7News, Rhyse Robert Hawkins, 36, lost control of a Ford Falcon and crashed into a rental property on Alexander Road in Rivervale, Perth’s eastern suburbs, in February.
The crash killed Bishnu Kumari Gurung, also known as Himali, 53, who was visiting Australia from Nepal and had only been in Western Australia for a few days.
Ms Gurung was sleeping in the front room of her daughter and son-in-law’s home when the vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road, mounted a driveway, smashed through a fence and ploughed into the house shortly before midnight.
She became trapped beneath the wreckage and died at the scene.
Hawkins appeared via video link from Casuarina Prison at Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to four charges, including unlawful killing.
He was arrested at the scene of the crash and will be sentenced in September.
The February tragedy shocked the Nepali community, with family members describing Ms Gurung as a loving and generous woman whose sudden death left them devastated.
Relatives had said she was the “heart and soul” of the family and remembered her for her kindness, warmth and unwavering smile.
At the time of the crash, emergency services rushed to the Rivervale property, with police, ambulance crews, firefighters and State Emergency Service personnel working to secure the damaged home.
Neighbours described hearing a loud impact, with one resident saying the crash sounded like “a plane had dropped on top” of the house.
Ms Gurung had travelled to Australia to visit her family. A fundraising page was later established to help the family with funeral expenses and provide support during the difficult period following her death.
Hawkins is due to return to court for sentencing in September.
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