Aaron David VIDAL

A motorcyclist who died in a crash in Sydney’s north-west has been identified as an off-duty police officer who was expecting his first child.

NSW Police constable Aaron Vidal, 28, died on Thursday afternoon after he was struck by a ute in Rouse Hill while travelling home from work.

He leaves behind a pregnant fiancée.

Police alleged in court that 37-year-old Tommy Balla drove the ute through a red light at an intersection.

Balla appeared in Blacktown Local Court on Friday on charges of dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death.

Dead NSW off-duty police officer an expectant father

 

FAREWELL TO AARON VIDAL

Police lined the streets and crowds stood outside St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Monday for the funeral of 28-year-old police officer Constable Aaron Vidal from Bligh Park.

The father-to-be died after his motorbike was involved in a crash at the intersection of Windsor and Schofields roads just before 5.45pm on Thursday, June 18 on his way home from work.

His fiancée Jess Loh told mourners at the funeral that the couple were expecting a baby boy.

Channel 7 News reported that Aaron Vidal was an organ donor and two people will benefit from his gift of life.

The driver of the utility involved in the crash, a 37-year-old man from The Ponds has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, and negligent driving occasioning death.

Constable Vidal, worked at Sydney City Police Area Command alongside his father, Chief Inspector David Vidal.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said: “Dave has always been incredibly proud of his son following in his footsteps and walking the beat sideby – side with him.”

Constable Vidal was part of class ‘332’ and started duties as a probationary constable at the Day Street Police Station in December 2017. He was confirmed as a constable in December 2018.

He joined the Proactive Crime Team at the end of last year, targeting crimes that directly impact the community.

Commissioner Fuller said: “On two occasions he had been formally recognised for good police work by members of the community, which shows that he was held in high regard by not only his peers, but the community he served.”

“Prior to joining the police force, Aaron served in the Australian Army, which further demonstrates his commitment to serving and protecting the community,” he said.

PARRAMATTA, Australia — As a police officer, David Vidal has seen many bodies, but he cannot rid himself of the moment he had to identify his high-achieving son.

“That image of Aaron on the table, lying with his life and soul squeezed out of him, replays in my head again and again,” said Vidal, Chief Inspector, to Parramatta District Court on June 4. “I cannot burn that from my memory.”

Constable Aaron Vidal, an expectant father in his dream career alongside his father in the New South Wales Police Force, was killed on his way home from work in June 2020.

The four-year Army veteran’s motorcycle was hit by a car driven by wannabe rapper Tommy Balla, who had run a red light in an intersection in Sydney’s Hills District.

“I know he did not do it with intention (of killing Aaron),” he said. “But no one on the roads today does not know the potential running a red light could and, in this case, did have.”

Vidal told the court how his son’s death stripped him of his best friend and passion for policing.

Vidal’s mother lost a piece of her soul. His broken-hearted younger sister forfeited her empathy while a younger brother was robbed of his best man at a future wedding.

Jessica Loh, widowed by the crash, said her life of excitement had turned to a daily struggle, as she cares for their baby born after the crash.

She recalled receiving a doctor’s call confirming the gender of her baby minutes after saying goodbye to her husband at a funeral home.

Her last message from Vidal came minutes before he died.

“Got out early, babe, jumping on the bike now,” he texted.

But, uncharacteristically, he never showed up, said Loh.

“I called and messaged repeatedly but still no response.”

A check of a traffic website sparked her worst nightmare before she drove to the crash site.

“I kept repeating, ‘Hang in there, babe, I will be there soon,” she said.

While police officers would not tell her if he was OK, she quickly saw the answer for herself; the constable’s body in the wreckage, his bloodied bag on the ground nearby.

“I felt numb, sick, and empty,” she said. “I started thinking I would lose our baby next.”

The “violent and meaningless tragedy” left her envious of those in her mothers’ group who had husbands to go home to, she said.

“I have a beautiful baby boy, and I am very happy to have him in my life,” she said. “But with each exciting milestone, there’s a reminder of what’s missing.”

Balla, 38, who broke down in tears when the court adjourned for lunch, is due to be sentenced later on June 4.

As per the National Road Safety Strategy reports, there have been 1107 deaths by road accidents in Australia.

(Edited by Vaibhav Vishwanath Pawar and Saptak Datta)

Tommy Balla could be spared jail time for causing crash that killed young cop Aaron Vidal

Constable Aaron Vidal died when his motorcycle slammed into the ute driven by Tommy Balla, who had run a red light at Rouse Hill in Sydney’s northwest on June 18, 2020.

Constable Vidal, 28, had just finished a shift in the city and was riding home to his pregnant fiancee Jessica Loh when his life was cut tragically short.

Balla, 38, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death and told Constable Vidal’s family during a hearing at Parramatta District Court last month he would never forgive himself.

Facing 10 years in jail, Judge Stephen Hanley on Monday sentenced him to a two-year prison term to be served in the community by way of an intensive corrections order.

But the court heard Balla first needs to pass a home detention application in order to avoid the jail time. If unsuccessful he will serve his sentence behind bars.

The judgment came after Judge Hanley found Constable Vidal had himself breached the road rules by illegally lane filtering just before he hit the side of Balla’s Mitsubishi Triton as it turned across Windsor Road.

The court heard witnesses reported seeing the motorcycle moving “fast” past several stationary cars stopped at the intersection, travelling at up to 50 to 60km/h.

Judge Hanley said the speed limit for lane filtering – an “inherently dangerous” manoeuvre – was 30km/h and as a police officer Constable Vidal should have known better.

“I’m satisfied the (crash) would not have occurred if the victim was observing the rules … and in that sense contributed to the collision,” he said.

The court heard the young cop, however, was faced with a green light and was entitled to believe no vehicle would be illegally travelling across the intersection. The speed limit on Windsor Road is 80km/h.

The family of a police officer who was killed when a motorist ran a red light and hit the father-to-be say they will feel the loss of their son, husband and friend for the rest of their lives.

It’s been just over a year since Constable Aaron Vidal, 28, suffered fatal injuries in a crash with a Mitsubishi Triton ute at the intersection of Windsor and Schofields roads in Rouse Hill. Tradesman Tommy Balla, 38, had run a red light. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.

On Monday, Parramatta District Court heard Balla would be assessed to serve two years’ imprisonment in home detention, with Judge Stephen Hanley describing him as profoundly remorseful and living “in his own prison”.

Balla had made a “split-second decision” to proceed into the intersection, which was a “misjudgement”, Judge Hanley said.

“If he’s not suitable for a home detention order, he’ll have to serve a term of imprisonment of two years,” he said.

Outside court, Chief Inspector David Vidal, who held a photo of his son, linked arms with Constable Vidal’s fiancee, Jessica Loh, as the pair told reporters, through tears, that they continued to feel the loss of him every day.

“We’re heartbroken and devastated as we were a year ago when we lost Aaron,” Chief Inspector Vidal said. “And we will continue to [feel this way] for the rest of our lives. Aaron was my hero.

“His parents are heartbroken, his siblings are heartbroken, his fiancee is heartbroken, his friends and his colleagues are heartbroken. Probably worst of all, he leaves behind a son he will never know.”

Chief Inspector Vidal said his son had dedicated his short life to protecting others and serving his country: first in the Australian Army and then in the NSW Police Force, where they worked alongside each other at Sydney City police area command.

He added that, while nothing could bring his son back, more needed to be done to support victims of road trauma. He called on the NSW government and community to introduce better education programs, judicial reform to increase prison sentences for offenders, and increased support for the loved ones of victims of road trauma.