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Home / World

Snapchat crash victim speaks out about head-on collision which put him in a coma

By Phoebe Loomes
news.com.au·
12 May, 2019 08:33 PM3 mins to read

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The accident shows Ms McNeill driving the car while her passengers scream her name. Photo / Supplied

The accident shows Ms McNeill driving the car while her passengers scream her name. Photo / Supplied

One of the victims of a head-on collision, which was captured in a terrifying Snapchat video, has spoken out after his injuries put him in a coma.

Dennis Sales has lashed the passengers in the Suzuki Baleno, who filmed driver Shania McNeill, 21, as she revved her car and crossed double lines into oncoming traffic, saying they could have done something to stop the accident which would eventually kill her and injure four others.

Mr Sales told 7 News he felt certain he was going to die from his injuries, and couldn't close his eyes as he recovered in hospital, because he saw "evil" things.

Mr Sales, driving his silver Nissan Micra, was hit head-on by Ms McNeill's Suzuki in the early hours of April 28, in Berkshire Park, west of Sydney, news.com.au reported.

Dennis Sales described feeling horrific pain and seeing 'evil' things while he recovered in hospital. Photo / Twitter / 7 News
Dennis Sales described feeling horrific pain and seeing 'evil' things while he recovered in hospital. Photo / Twitter / 7 News
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A disturbing video posted to Snapchat before the crash shows Ms McNeill as she revved her Suzuki and played chicken with other cars on the road, while her passengers screamed and filmed the reckless driving that would kill Ms McNeill.

"I've only seen that a few times," Mr Sales said of the Snapchat video. "(My daughter) Sharon had told me about it and that's only the second time I've seen it.

"It made me sick."

After the accident, the passengers in Ms McNeill's vehicle, Hazel Wildman, 23, and Faeda Hunter, 20, posted selfies from hospital to their social media accounts.

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The accident shows Ms McNeill driving the car while her passengers scream her name. Photo / Supplied
The accident shows Ms McNeill driving the car while her passengers scream her name. Photo / Supplied

Mr Sales suffered critical injuries from the accident. He was in a coma for two days after the head-on.

As he recovers, he says he is still constantly in pain, weeks after the accident, visible injuries cover his body.

Mr Sales told 7 News for the first few days in hospital that he was certain he would die.

"I can hardly move now. I couldn't stand up … I'm in pain as we speak," he said.

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"I guess the first few days in hospital. There were times there when I couldn't close my eyes because I saw some evil things. And I thought, if I close my eyes, I will die."

A Gofundme has been set up to assist Mr Sales and Ken Morrow, also injured in the accident.

He called the paramedics who saved his life at the scene "an angel from heaven".

Dennis Sales has spoken out after the Snapchat accident that left him certain he would die. Photo / 7 News
Dennis Sales has spoken out after the Snapchat accident that left him certain he would die. Photo / 7 News

The investigation into the crash and the cause of the accident is ongoing.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said in April the Snapchat video and photos the girls took of themselves in hospital following the fatal crash will form part of their investigation.

According to 7 News, Mr Sales wants to see Ms Hunter and Ms Wildman punished. "There's two people there that could have stopped it," he said.

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Mr Corboy said the problem of people using social media like Snapchat while driving has become a dangerous trend.

"It's not just young people — it's right through the (age) spectrum," he said.

"Any trend of going to video or Instagram or any of those social media platforms and sending out video or taping while you're driving is a trend we're really trying to stop.

"The message needs to get through that if you continue to do this, you or your friends could continue to die."

"Our thoughts go out to that family — it must be terrible to watch that video and see that in the newspapers this morning," he said.

"We really are calling on all witnesses or anyone who's got dashcam footage to give it to police."

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