A man accused of leaving a woman for dead after hitting her with his car on a Penrith Street will remain behind bars.
However, Lasaro Tavai will apply for bail at a hearing in July.
At about 5.30pm on Thursday, June 5 emergency services were called to Macquarie Avenue, Penrith, following reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle before it drove away from the scene without stopping.
The woman – named as Yaping Ren, believed to be aged in her 60s – was treated by NSW Ambulance Paramedics at the scene but was unable to be revived.
20-year-old Lasaro Tavai, believed to have been behind the wheel when Ren was struck, was arrested at about 10.40pm on Friday, June 6 at a home on Taloma Street in South Penrith.
Police will allege Tavai was disqualified from driving as well as being behind the wheel of an unregistered car when the incident occurred.
He was taken to St Marys Police Station where he was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death-drive manner dangerous, negligent driving (occasioning death), fail to stop and assist after impact cause death, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, and use unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on road and was remanded into custody.
Tavai did not apply for bail when his matter was briefly heard in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, June 7.
Tavai’s case was adjourned when it appeared in Penrith Local Court last Friday, June 13 until the beginning of August.
Tavai’s lawyer also asked for a bail hearing for her client with Magistrate Stephen Corry granting her request for Friday, July 11.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.